HBV : Predictions and Preparations of Future Infection of Acute Hepatitis B based on the Past and the Present in Korea

Background: Routine hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program in Korea has been introduced since 1983, and the prevalence of acute HBV infection in Korea is low. However, given the impaired social ability to work in patients with acute HBV infection, we intended to epidemiologically predict the future infection based on the data of the past and the present. Methods: A total of 185 patients who were diagnosed as acute HBV infection between August, 1996 and February, 2013 in our institution were consecutively enrolled. We confirmed the outbreak by reviewing the frequency of acute HBV infection during these periods. The diagnosis of acute HBV infection was based on anti-HBc IgM positivity and/or HBsAg positivity with acute onset of symptoms. No patient had a family history of hepatitis B. Results: The median patient`s age was 37 years (range, 2-80 years), and 61% were male. The frequency of acute HBV infection was peak in patients with age of 20-29 years (26.5%), 30- 39 years (28.6%), and 40-49 years (21.1%). The frequency of acute HBV infection per year showed peaks in 1997 years (27.3%), 1998 years (31.2%), and 1999 years (32.5%) in the 1990s. Although the frequency of acute HBV infection per year in the 2000s was lower than that in the 1990s, the frequency in the 2000s showed peaks in 2007 years (24.5%), 2008 years (14.9%), and 2009 years (9.6%). Conclusions: The frequency of acute HBV infection showed bimodal peaks in 1997-1999 years in the 1990s and in 2007- 2009 years in the 2000s. Given the high frequency of acute HBV infection in young (20-40 years) male patients with active social activities, catch-up HBV vaccination program in these patients might be required to protect acute HBV infection, especially prior to 2017-2019 years in the 2010s. Moreover, large scaled epidemiologic studies are needed confirm our data.