Elsevier, Manson's Tropical Diseases (Twentyfourth Edition), 2024, Pages 152-166
Viral hepatitis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. In 2019, there were over 1.4 million deaths worldwide attributed to viral hepatitis, an increase from nearly 900 000 deaths annually in 1990 (Figure 18.1).1 This increase is despite significant advances in the development and deployment of vaccines for hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV) as well as improvement in efficacy, safety, and availability of treatment for HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) (summarized in Table 18.1). Ninety-six percent of viral hepatitis-related deaths globally were due to HBV or HCV, with a majority a result of liver cirrhosis and close to 40% due to hepatocellular cancer (HCC).
