Viral Hepatitis Flashcards
What family is hepatitis A virus from? Describe its structure.
The family Picornaviridae, genus hepatovirus
Single-stranded, positive sense RNA genome
Quasi-enveloped virions
How is it transmitted and what is the incubation period?
Faeco-oral versus blood-borne transmission
Incubation period of 15-50 days
Describe the epidemiology of HAV?
- o More common in countries in which access to clean water is poor - Sub Saharan Africa and India
- Approx. 1.5 millions of cases worldwide annually
- Developing countries with poor socio-economic conditions
- 300-500 cases annually in the UK
- Mostly among age 15-34 and non-travellers
- Outbreaks among MSM (2016/17) & IVDU (2001 & 2017)
What is the Clinical manifestation of HAV?
- Wide disease spectrum from asymptomatic to fulminant hepatitis
- Strong correlation with age: <10% symptomatic among children <6 years old versus 70% in adults
- Typical symptoms: fever, malaise, anorexia/nausea, abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea, jaundice
- Extra-hepatic diseases
- Acute presentation; 99% resolution
•NOT an aetiology for chronic hepatitis
Describe the natural history of HAV infection/vaccine.
- 2-6 weeks after the infection you get hepatitis
What is the diagnostic test for HAV?
•Diagnostics based on HAV serology
Acute infection: IgM reactive; unlikely if bilirubin level < 30umol/L
Past infection: IgM non-reactive, IgG reactive
What is the tx for HAV?
Supportive
What are the public health implications of HAV infection?
- Notifiable disease in the UK – must alert HPT immediately upon diagnosis•
- Infectious period of index case: two weeks before onset of first symptoms and until one week after the onset of jaundice
What is pre and post exposure prophylaxis forHAV?
- Pre-exposure immunisation among population at risk
- Post-exposure prophylaxis
- Within 14 days of exposure to index case: HAV vaccine +/- HNIG (for 60 years and above, chronic liver diseases incCHB/CHC, immunocompromised contact)
- Over 14 days: HAV vaccine +/- HNIG (for chronic liverdiseases inc CHB/CHC, immunocompromised contact)
Acute HAV infection
What family his hepatitis B from? Describe the structure.
- The family Hepadnaviridae
- Double-strained DNA with reverse transcriptase
- Enveloped virions
- 10 genotypes (A-J) with distinctive geographic distribution
Hw is HBV transmitted? What is the incubation period?
- Blood-borne transmission: horizontal & vertical
- Incubation period of 40-160 days
What is the clinical manifestation of acute HBV infection?
•Age related presentation & prognosis in acute hepatitis B
- Neonates & children: mostly asymptomatic or anicteric; 90% HBV-infected neonates develop CHB, and 30% among children age <5 years
- Adult: 30-50% icteric hepatitis; 10% become CHB•
- 0.1-0.05% risk of fulminant hepatitis; related to co-infection with HCV/HDV
- Maternal HBeAg/Ab status & HBV viral load
- HBeAg as the most important risk predictor for vertical transmission
Describe the natural history of acute hepatitis B infection.
- Incubation period: 2-6 months
- Presence of IgM anti-HBc = recent infection
- The symptoms and rise in ALT will probably subside after around 6 months
- They will eventually clear HBsAg and HBeAg
- Prolonged presence of HBsAg is suggestive of chronic infection
What is chronic HBV infection? What are the complications?
- Definition: persistence of HBsAg for 6 months or more after acute HBV infection•
- Complications
- Cirrhosis: 8-20% untreated CHB in 5 years;
- Hepatocellular carcinoma: the annual risk of 2-5% among CHB cirrhotic patients; affected by host (e.g. alcohol abuse) and viral factors (e.g. high HBV viral load & qHBsAg)
Describe the epidemiology go chronic hepatitis B.
•Approximately 296 million people are living with CHB worldwide;
CHB-related mortality at roughly 820,000 people per year
Describe the natural history of chronic hep B infection.
e antigen - marker for replication
How do we interpret HBV serology?
- HBsAg: infection
- HBsAb: immunity through either immunisation or past infection
- HBcAb: exposure
IgM: acute infection
- HbeAg: replication activity
- HBeAB - not replicating as frequently