Acute viral hepatitis: An aetiological study of 253 patients

Abstract
Two hundred and fifty‐three cases of acute viral hepatitis admitted to Ibn Al‐Khateeb Infectious Disease Hospital, Baghdad, were studied prospectively regarding the viral aetiological agent. The most common cause was infection with one of the non‐A, non‐B viruses (51%). The second most common cause was infection with the hepatitis B virus (32%); two of these patients had hepatitis δ‐co‐infection. Hepatitis A virus was responsible for 15% of the cases, and hepatitis δ‐virus superinfection in 2% of the cases.