{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,4]],"date-time":"2026-04-04T08:58:36Z","timestamp":1775293116602,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"SMW Supporting Association","issue":"1112","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,3,14]],"date-time":"2011-03-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1300060800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Swiss Med Wkly"],"abstract":"<jats:p>OBJECTIVES:The sero-prevalence of co-infection with the  hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the hepatitis D virus (HDV) is well known in many  European countries, starting from 6.8% in Germany to more than 27% in some  Turkish areas. To gain a better description of this infection in Switzerland,  and to characterise those affected, a questionnaire was sent to all Swiss  gastroenterologists, hepatologists and infectologists.\n        METHODS:A questionnaire was received by 349 physicians which  asked them to report on all HBV- and HDV-infected patients seen at their  units\/offices.\n        RESULTS:A total of 101 HDV-positive patients seen by 78  specialists were analysed. The physicians were in charge of 1\u2019699\u00a0patients with  chronic hepatitis B, giving a 5.9% prevalence of HDV infection in HBV-positive  patients. A predominance of males (75%) from Switzerland (39%), and of African  origin (21%) was recorded. Most had been contaminated by intravenous drug use  (62%), followed by vertical transmission (15%), sexual contact (13%) or  transfusion with blood or blood products (2%). The majority (74%) had a very  low (&lt;103 UI\/ml) HBV viral load and 75% were HBeAg-negative. A  total of 76% percent of those who had a liver biopsy had significant fibrosis  (\u2265F2), and only 21% had received standard therapy (interferon or pegylated  interferon-\u03b1). Overall, 10%  recovered spontaneously (anti-HBs-positive).\n        CONCLUSION:With a prevalence of 5.9% of hepatitis D in  HBsAg-positive patients, Switzerland  seems less affected than most other European countries, however, it is possible  that this infection is under-diagnosed. Intravenous drug use was the main risk  factor. Associated advanced liver disease was also very common.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4414\/smw.2011.13176","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,10,27]],"date-time":"2011-10-27T03:48:08Z","timestamp":1319687288000},"page":"w13176","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Hepatitis  delta in Switzerland: a silent  epidemic"],"prefix":"10.57187","volume":"141","author":[{"given":"I","family":"Rossi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"36756","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,3,14]]},"container-title":["Swiss Medical Weekly"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1267\/1418","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1267\/1419","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/download\/1267\/1418","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,15]],"date-time":"2025-08-15T02:48:27Z","timestamp":1755226107000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/smw.ch\/index.php\/smw\/article\/view\/1267"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011,3,14]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1112","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,3,14]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4414\/smw.2011.13176","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-3997"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-3997","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011,3,14]]}}}