Changes in epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Poland at the end of the 20th century.

Viral hepatitis is, apart from influenza, the most often registered infectious disease in the world. The material comprised epidemiological data concerning the number of cases of viral hepatitis registered in Poland in the years 1990-2000. There were analysed the number of cases, incidence, number of deaths and mortality from viral hepatitis of different types in Poland in the years 1990-2000. The incidence rates from all types of viral hepatitis have been increasing in Poland until 1993 and decreased abruptly after 1993, mainly due to the diminution of number of cases of viral hepatitis type A. There was registered a decreasing trend in incidence rates of viral hepatitis type B that was significantly intensified after 1993, i.e. since the year when mass prophylaxis vaccinations have been initiated. Since registration of cases of viral hepatitis type C was started in 1997, the number of analytically confirmed cases of this disease has doubled. Mortality from all types of viral hepatitis has decreased twofold in Poland in the years 1990-2000.