Viral Hepatitis

Viral hepatitis research continues to benefit from the impetus it received as a result of the discovery of Australia or hepatitis B antigen in 1961. This report reviews advances since 1972, in which year a WHO scientific group on Viral Hepatitis covered the field comprehensively. The report considers the results of current research into isolation and identification of agents and antigens associated with hepatitis A and B to be encouraging, and gives emphasis to the prospects of active and passive immunization against hepatitis B.