PATTERN OF HEPATITIS-A AND HEPATITIS-B VIRUS MARKERS IN CASES OF ACUTE SPORADIC HEPATITIS AND IN HEALTHY SCHOOL-CHILDREN FROM NORTH-WEST INDIA

The pattern of viral markers in acute sporadic hepatitis in 329 childr en and those in 334 healthy school children from North West India were studied, Hepatitis A was found to be the commonest infection in spora dic cases (78 per cent). Of these, 86 per cent were under 10 years and 50 per cent less than 5 years of age, Hepatitis B was positive in 8 p er cent, non-A non-B in 13 per cent, A as well as B in 1 per cent, and none had Delta virus infection, Viral markers in healthy school child ren showed anti-HAV Ige positivity in 96 and 85 per cent in those belo nging to low and high socio-economic groups, respectively, indicating past infection. HBsAg was positive in 1 per cent of cases, Viral hepat itis is an important public health problem in children and warrants ac tive immunization.