Viral Hepatitis Flashcards
What kind of virus is Hep A?
RNA
How is Hep A transmitted?
Faeco-oral
Contaminated water/food
Person-person
Describe clinical features of Hep A infection?
Incubation period - 30 days.
Fever, pair, diarrhoea, jaundice, itch, muscle pain.
Severity is age dependent.
- Asymptomatic in <5yo.
- Higher mortality rate in >50s (but still low).
Usually self-limiting, no role for vaccine or IgG.
No chronic carriage, good immunity after infection.
How is Hep A diagnoses?
Acute: IgM positive or RNA in blood/stool.
Previous Hep A or vaccinated: IgG.
Describe the Hep A vaccine?
Inactivated virus.
Protection 4 weeks after first dose. Second dose gives life protection.
Given in travellers, homosexual men, IV drug users and chronic liver disease patients before exposure.
Describe Hep A Immunoglobulin?
Pooled Immunoglobulin.
Given as pre-exposure if vaccine allergic.
Confers 3-6 months immunity.
What kind of virus is Hep E?
RNA
How is Hep E transmitted?
Faeco-oral route
Pork products
Minimal person-person
How many genotypes of Hep E is there?
4
Describe the clinical features of Hep E?
Incubation period of 40 days.
Fever, pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, pain, jaundice.
Neurological manefestations with genotype 3 (Guillian-Barre, ataxia, myopathy).
No vaccine.
What patients would get chronic Hep E and how is it treated?
Immunosuppressed patients.
Treated with Ribaviran.
What kind of virus is Hep B?
Hepadnavirus (DNA)
How is Hep B transmitted?
Vertical transmission - Mother to baby usually at birth. Contaminated needles and syringes. Child-child (horizontal). Organ and tissue transplant. Fluids (blood/semen).
In tropics usually sexual contact, vertical, contact with open sores, scarifiction, circumcision.
What is it important to test for in patients who have Hep B?
HIV as transmission is the same.
Describe acute Hep B infection and how it differs in different age groups?
(incubation period, clinical features)
Incubation period of 2-6 months.
Fever, fatigue, jaundice, joint pain, myalgia (muscle pain).
Infection at birth is usually asymptomatic but leads to chronic infection as babies dont have an adequate immune system to attack infected cells.
In adults is symptomatic, but can be cleared.
Symptoms can lead to cachexia (wasting), a mass in the abdomen and bloody ascites.