Viral Hepatitis Prevalence among Tribal and Non-Tribal Hospitalised Patients in Northeast India with a Note on its Prevalence before and During COVID-19

Background: India is rich in tribal population including north-east India. This research of ours is based on viral hepatitis diagnosis (HBV, HCV, HDV. HAV. HEV) and prevalence in the eight north eastern states of India (namely Assam, Arunachal, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Mizoram) that are in locations bordering other countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. The article intercompares the viral hepatitis prevalence pattern in tribal and non-tribal patients in the north eastern states of India as well as the overall prevalence pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19. Methodology: This cross-sectional study data on prevalence of viral hepatitis conducted in the 8 north eastern states of India between 2018-2022 has data. two years before the onset of COVID-19 (2018-2019) and 2 years during the COVID-19 (2020-2022). This manuscript presents retrospective comparison on viral hepatitis prevalence between the recruited viral hepatitis patients of tribal and non-tribal origin. This work also compares viral hepatitis prevalence pre-COVID19 and during COVID-19 with no planned work done on COVID-19 diagnostics. Results: In this study it was observed that the tribal population in northeast India had higher prevalence of viral hepatitis than non-tribals in young adults whereas non-tribal had higher prevalence of viral hepatitis than tribals in older population. Certain tribes like Lushai of Mizoram had higher prevalence of HDV, HCV, HEV. Hepatitis B vaccination status was better in non-tribals than tribals in the recruited patients. Further in certain states like Manipur and Tripura exhibited significant difference in the diagnostic marker prevalence in hepatocellular carcinoma patients and liver cirrhosis patients before COVID and during COVID. Conclusion: There were differences in the prevalence and risk factors of viral hepatitis between tribal and non-tribal patients of viral hepatitis in northeast India. Further COVID-19 did have influence on the viral hepatitis prevalence in northeast India.