Epidemiology of hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection in an urban area of Northern Italy

Objectives The introduction of vaccination against hepatitis B initially reduced the number of HBV (hepatitis B virus) and HDV (hepatitis delta virus) infections, but the decreasing trend of HDV infection seems to have stopped. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HDV infection in the general population living in the catchment area of Legnano Hospital in northern Italy. Methods Of the 22,758 subjects tested in 2007–2008, the 488 who were HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen)-positive [including 107 (21.9%) of non-Italian origin] were subsequently tested for anti-HDV antibodies. Results Of the 488 subjects who tested positive for HBsAg, 24 (4.9%) were anti-HDV positive, all aged between 30 and 60 years. The difference in prevalence between males (7.1%) and females (1.9%) was statistically significant ( p