Fulminant delta hepatitis among Swedish drug addicts

Between 1979 and 1984 11 cases of fulminant hepatitis were seen at the Department of Infectious Diseases in Lund, Sweden. Four cases were associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Besides, all 4 patients had serological evidence of delta infection. Two were considered to be simultaneous HBV and delta agent infections, the other 2 were found to be delta superinfections in chronic HBsAg carriers. All 4 patients were intravenous drug addicts. The other 7 cases of fulminant hepatitis had no serological evidence of neither hepatitis A nor B virus infections and none of them were intravenous drug addicts.