Reports of a recent outbreak in Sindh question the relative likelihood of various forms of viral hepatitis in Pakistan. The following data are abstracted from GIDEON. One of the modules in GIDEON follows all published prevalence surveys (Ascariasis, Chlamydial infection, Trachoma, Leprosy …) and seroprevalence surveys (HIV infection, Toxoplasmosis, Rubella … etc) – for every infectious disease, in every country.

[primary references available on request]

Viral hepatitis in Pakistan:

Hepatitis A:
Prevalence
4% of acute hepatitis in pregnant women in Karachi
5.4% of acute hepatitis in Lahore.

Seroprevalence:
94% of children by age 5 (Karachi, 1994 publication)
100% of children ages 14 to 15 (Karachi, 2002 to 2004)
40.57% of persons with clinical suspicion of acute hepatitis (2003 to 2004)

Hepatitis B:
Prevalence
5.5% of acute viral hepatitis in Karachi (1997 to 1998); 41.9% in Lahore
17% of viral hepatitis episodes among pregnant women in Karachi
18.5% of constables in Sindh are infected by either hepatitis B or hepatitis C (2008)

HBsAg-positivity surveys:
4% of the general population (2007 publication)
4.92% of persons in Karachi and 2.19% in Sindh (1999 to 2006)
2.56% of healthy persons in Islamabad (1998 to 2004)
5% of persons in rural Sindh (2008 publication)
0.34% of pregnant women in Karachi (2006)
0.6% of gynecological patients in Quetta (2004)
2.4% of children and 2.4% of adults (1994 to 2007)
2.28% of blood donors (Karachi and Hyderabad)
5.5% of first time blood donors in Karachi (2000)
1.46 to 2.99% of blood donors, with a downward trend over time (Lahore, 1996 to 2005)
3.3% of healthy blood donors in northern Pakistan
6.2% of blood donors in interior Sindh (2004 to 2007)
2.0% of volunteer blood donors in Karachi (1998 to 2002)
2.1% of healthy blood donors (2003 to 2005)
2.93% of adult males in military hospitals (2004 to 2005)
3.6% of children below age 12 in Islamabad (1995 to 1996)
1.8% of children ages 1 to 15 years in Karachi (2006 publication)
1.9% of children ages 14 to 15 in Karachi (2002 to 2004)
55% of patients with chronic liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma
8.3% of Afghani refugees living in Balochistan (2003)
7.5% of IDU in Karachi (2003)
6% of IDU in Quetta (2007 publication)

Hepatitis C:
Prevalence:
The nationwide carriage rate in 1997 was estimated at 2.40%.
Antigenemia is found in 24% of patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma and 1.18% to 9% of blood donors (1996).

Seroprevalence:
2.4% to 6.5% of the general population (2008 publication)
2.1% of children and 3.0% of adults (1994 to 2007)
6.5% in Hafizabad, Punjab (1997)
5.31% of healthy persons in Islamabad (1998 to 2004)
16% of adults in Faisalabad (2004)
1.70% of adult males in military hospitals (2004 to 2005)
15.63% in the Punjab (1999 to 2001)
5.59% of persons in northern Pakistan following an earthquake (2006)
33.7% of persons in rural Sindh (2008 publication)
15.9% in Lahore
23.8% in Gujranwala (Punjab)
14% of surgical patients in Jacobabad Sindh (2007)
3.26 of blood donors in Sialkot (1998 to 2000)
4.0% of blood donors in northern Pakistan (1996 to 2000)
4.4% of first time blood donors in Karachi (2000)
4,1% of blood donors in Nortwest Frontier Province (2008 publication)
4.1% of blood donors (2002 to 2005)
7.5% of blood donors in interior Sindh (2004 to 2007)
3.01 to 4.99% of blood donors in Lahore (1996 to 2005)
18.5% of constables in Sindh are infected by either hepatitis B or hepatitis C (2008)
0.44% of children by age 5 (Karachi, 1994 publication)
1.6% of children ages 1 to 15 years (Karachi, 2006 publication)
1.4% of children ages 14 to 15 (Karachi, 2002 to 2004)
68% of hemodialysis patients and 10% of controls in Lahore (1999)
23.7% of hemodialysis patients in Islamabad (2002 to 2003)
4.8% of pregnant women in Islamabad (2001 to 2002)
0.69% of pregnant women in Karachi (2006)
36% of diabetics in Peshawar (2007 publication)
94.3% of IDU users in Karachi (2003)
60% of IDU in Quetta (2007 publication)
91.8% of IDU in Lahore and 87% in Karachi (2004)

Hepatitis D:
Prevalence:
36.8% of hepatitis B patients and 10% of healthy carriers of hepatitis B (Karachi, 1995)
16.6% of the general population (1994 to 2001)

Hepatitis E:
Prevalence:
5.4% of acute hepatitis B-negative and hepatitis C-negative hepatitis in Lahore (2009 publication)
47.2% of acute hepatitis in Lahore (1994 publication)

Seroprevalence:
26% of children ages 14 to 15 (Karachi, 2002 to 2004)
62% of adults (1995)
62% of United Nations peacekeepers in Pakistan (1998 publication)

Hepatitis G:
Prevalence:
1.5% of professional blood donors/drug addicts (1996 to 1997)
12% of patients with liver disease (40% of these are coinfected with hepatitis C virus)
21% of transfusion-dependent children with thalassemia

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