epidemiology and molecular detection of hav, hbv, and hcv in patients with acute hepatitis symptoms in ahvaz

Background: viral hepatitis has emerged as a major public health problem leading to disproportionate degrees of morbidity and mortality worldwide. objectives: this study describes epidemiology of hepatitis a virus (hav), hepatitis b virus (hbv), and hepatitis c virus (hcv), and associated risk factors in patients with acute hepatitis symptoms in southwest of iran (ahvaz). methods: a total of 150 serum samples from patients with elevated serum aminotransferase levels were subjected to serological and molecular assays. results: the sero-prevalence of hav, hbv, and hcv was 79.3%. furthermore, hav, hbv, and hcv nucleic acids were detected in 28%, 18.7%, and 22.7% of samples, respectively. all hav cases were categorized in the ib genotype and hbv isolates belonged to genotype d. hepatitis c virus rna-positive samples were clustered in genotypes 1a (38.3%) and 3a (61.7%). the authors found that some risk factors, such tattooing and traveling to endemic areas, had a crucial role in rising of viral hepatitis frequency in ahvaz city. conclusions: these results document the prevalence of circulating viral hepatitis in ahvaz city and may draw attention to the necessity for a comprehensive program to control viral hepatitis in this region.