Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 041 90 Kosice, Slovakia
Ivana Hockicková
Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 041 90 Kosice, Slovakia
Elena Hatalová
Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozes Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Daniela Žilinčanová
II. Department of Internal Medicine, HEGITO Division Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation, F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, Slovak Medical University, 974 01 Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
Marek Rác
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty Hospital, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
Veronika Bednárová
Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozes Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Patrícia Denisa Lenártová
Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 041 90 Kosice, Slovakia
Sylvia Dražilová
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 041 90 Kosice, Slovakia
Ľubomír Skladaný
II. Department of Internal Medicine, HEGITO Division Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation, F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, Slovak Medical University, 974 01 Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
Ivan Schréter
Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 041 90 Kosice, Slovakia
Peter Jarčuška
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Pavol Jozef Safarik University, 041 90 Kosice, Slovakia
Monika Halánová
Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozes Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Background: It is assumed that the prevalence of hepatitis D in HBsAg-positive individuals reaches 4.5–13% in the world and on average about 3% in Europe. Data from several European countries, including Slovakia, are missing or are from an older period. Methods: We analyzed all available data on hepatitis D from Slovakia, including reports from the Slovak Public Health Authority and the results of one prospective study, and three smaller surveys. The determination of anti-HDV IgG and IgM antibodies and/or HDV RNA was used to detect hepatitis D. Results: In the years 2005–2022, no confirmed case of acute or chronic HDV infection was reported in Slovakia. The presented survey includes a total of 343 patients, of which 126 were asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, 33 acute hepatitis B, and 184 chronic hepatitis B cases. In a recent prospective study of 206 HBsAg-positive patients who were completely serologically and virologically examined for hepatitis B and D, only 1 anti-HDV IgG-positive and no anti-HDV IgM or HDV RNA-positive cases were detected. In other smaller surveys, two anti-HDV IgG-positive patients were found without the possibility of HDV RNA confirmation. In total, only 3 of 329 HBsAg-positive patients (0.91%) tested positive for anti-HDV IgG antibodies, and none of 220 tested positive for HDV RNA. Conclusion: The available data show that Slovakia is one of the countries with a very low prevalence of HDV infection, reaching less than 1% in HBsAg-positive patients. Routine testing for hepatitis D is lacking in Slovakia, and therefore it is necessary to implement testing of all HBsAg-positive individuals according to international recommendations.
