Genotype A HBV (hepatitis B virus) cases on the rise in Japan
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Incidence of the hepatitis B (HBV) virus genotype A usually associated with Europe and North America is on the increase in Japan, say local scientists. The rise in the number of cases is surprising because the majority of hepatitis cases in Japan are usually of the genotype C. Hiroshi Yatsuhashi, director at the Institute for Clinical Research at the National Nagasaki Medical Center, has therefore claimed that much of the infection has occurred through sexual contact with people "including foreigners" in urban areas.