|
Disease Information, Treatments and Possible Cures
Hepatitis D virus (HDV)
Hepatitis D is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV), a defective virus that needs the hepatitis B virus to exist. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is found in the blood of persons infected with the virus.
Cause
Hepatitis D virus (HDV)
Risk Factors
- Injection drug users
- Men who have sex with men
- Hemodialysis patients
- Sex contacts of infected persons
- Health care and public safety workers
- Infants born to infected mothers
(very rare)
Symptoms
- jaundice
- fatigue
- abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
-
- nausea, vomiting
- joint pain
- dark (tea colored) urine
HDV can be acquired either as
- a co-infection (occurs simultaneously) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or
- as a superinfection in persons with existing chronic HBV infection.
HBV-HDV co-infection:
- may have more severe acute disease and a higher risk (2%-20%) of developing acute liver failure compared with those infected with HBV alone
HBV-HDV superinfection
- chronic HBV carriers who acquire HDV superinfection usually develop chronic HDV infection
- progression to cirrhosis is believed to be more common with HBV/HDV chronic infections
Diagnosis
See your medical practioner.
Treatment
Acute HDV infection
Chronic HDV infection
- interferon-alfa
- liver transplant
Prevention
Avoid the risk factors
References
CDC
|
|
|
