ACTA.FAC.MED.NAISS. 1998; 15(1), 5-10

VIRAL HEPATITIS A AND B - CURRENT POSSIBILITIES RELATED TO DIAGNOSIS, THERAPY AND PREVENTION
Ljubiša Djokić

Viral hepatitides have still been the most widely distributed humans infectious diseases in the world. Only the number of the chronic carriers of the hepatitis B virus is presently estimated at over 300 million cases. Acute viral hepatitides are systemic infections mostly affecting the liver. They are induced by ( clearly defined causes: hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), hepatitis E virus (HEV) and hepatitis G virus (HGV). After its variable duration, the disease is mostly completely spontaneously cured, The fulminant forms, accompanied with high incidence of lethal outcomes of up to 80% are infrequent. Some causative organisms of the viral hepatitides (HBV) are capable, to the greater or lesser extent to transforming the disease into the chronic course. Their consequences, mostly after prolonged duration may include liver cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Key words: Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, diagnosis, therapy, prevention