Changing Concepts in the Epidemiology of Viral Hepatitis

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Abstract
DURING the past decade advances in virology and vaccine development have resulted in a striking decline in the incidence of a number of common viral diseases. Whereas viral hepatitis has attracted increasing attention as a public-health problem, progress in hepatitis virology has been exceedingly slow. At present the etiologic agent of viral hepatitis has not been identified, and no vaccine is available for prevention of the disease. On the basis of the past experience with poliomyelitis and measles vaccines, it is likely that even after isolation of the hepatitis virus or viruses, five to 10 years will probably elapse before . . .