Does hepatitis D affect the liver?
Hepatitis D can be an acute, short-term infection or become a long-term, chronic infection. Hepatitis D can cause severe symptoms and serious illness that can lead to life-long liver damage and even death.
How do u get hepatitis D?
Hepatitis D is caused by HDV. The infection is contagious and spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
What does Type D hepatitis do?
Hepatitis D is a liver infection you can get if you have hepatitis B. It can cause serious symptoms that can lead to lifelong liver damage and even death. It’s sometimes called hepatitis delta virus (HDV) or delta hepatitis. Although it isn’t common in the United States, HDV is the most severe form of hepatitis.
Does hepatitis D cause chronic liver disease?
Chronic hepatitis D may lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. People who have chronic hepatitis B and D are more likely to develop these complications than people who have chronic hepatitis B alone.
How long does hepatitis D last?
Pegylated interferon alpha is the generally recommended treatment for hepatitis D virus infection. Treatment should last for at least 48 weeks irrespective of the patient’s response.
What is unique about hepatitis D?
Hepatitis D is caused by the HDV, which is a unique virus with defective replication processes. Because it cannot replicate like other viruses, it requires co-infection with chronic HBV in order to survive and replicate. HDV is a single-stranded RNA virus and only codes for 2 proteins (HDV large and small antigen).
Where is hepatitis D most common?
Hepatitis D is most common in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, West and Central Africa, East Asia, and the Amazon Basin in South America.
Can hepatitis D be cured?
There is currently no cure for hepatitis D, but treatment can help people manage the condition. For people with chronic hepatitis D, a doctor will often prescribe a medicine called pegylated interferon-alpha, which reduces the risk of the condition worsening. People will usually take this for at least 48 weeks .
What are the risk factors for hepatitis D?
Risk Factors
- Injection drug users.
- Persons with hemophilia.
- Infants/children of immigrants from areas with high rates of HBV infection.
- Household contacts of chronically infected persons.
- Persons with multiple sex partners or diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease.
- Men who have sex with men.
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