Hepatitis D

Question 1

Etiology Hepatitis D

Answer 1

Hepatitis D viurs

Question 2

Transmission of Hepatitis D

Answer 2

Sexually, parenteral, perinatal.
Only possible if the patient is already infected with HepB!!! It needs the HBsAg coat to enter cells

Question 3

Incubation period for hepatitis D

Answer 3

1-6 months ( coinfection )
2-8 weeks (superinfection)

Question 4

Clinical features of hepatitis D

Answer 4

Acute Infection- Infection that was acquired in the past 6 months.
● Serum sickness like syndrome- can develop during prodromal period, 1-2 weeks after infection. Symptoms: Fever, rash and arthralgia
● Subclinical hepatitis (70%) - most common in children under 5 and
immunocompromised
● Symptomatic hepatitis( 30%); fever, rash arthralgia, myalgia, fatigue, nausea, Jaundice, RUQ pain
● Symptoms usually resolve after a few weeks up to 6 months.
● May develop into fulminant hepatitis (0.5%) which is severe liver injury due to massive necrosis of hepatocytes.

Question 5

Diagnosis of hepatitis D

Answer 5

Detection of anti- HDV antibodies by ELISA
- Measure HDV-RNA with PCR

Question 6

Treatment of Hepatitis D

Answer 6

No specific treatment for HepD - PEG-IFN-a, Nucleoside/nucleotide analogs

Question 7

Prophylaxis hepatitis D

Answer 7

No specific ones for HepD, but vaccination against HepB protects against HepD, as it cannot occur as its own infection.