News: The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced the reclassification of hepatitis D as cancerous, emphasising the urgency for preventing viral hepatitis, which is a growing public health crisis.
About Hepatitis D
- Hepatitis D is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV), which requires hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its replication.
- Hepatitis D infection cannot occur in the absence of HBV. So, Chronic HDV occurs only in people living with HBV.
- Chronic HDV infection is considered the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis due to more rapid progression towards liver-related death and hepatocellular carcinoma.
- Carcinogenic: HDV has recently been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) mongraph programme, just like hepatitis B and C.
- Vulnerable population: Populations that is more likely to have HBV and HDV co-infection include indigenous populations, recipients of haemodialysis and people who inject drugs.
- Impact: HDV affects globally nearly 5% (an estimated 12 million) of people who have a chronic infection with HBV.
- Transmission
- HDV is blood borne and transmission may occur through contact with infected human blood or other bodily fluids.
- It may also be transmitted through sexual intercourse, or rarely from a mother to her child before or around birth (vertical transmission).
- HDV can also spread within families in endemic areas.
- Symptoms
- Symptoms usually include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, pale-coloured stools, jaundice (yellow eyes) and even fulminant hepatitis.
- Treatment
- There is no separate vaccine for hepatitis D.
- The only way to stop it is by getting the hepatitis B vaccine, which protects against both viruses.
- The antiviral bulevirtide has emerged in Europe as an approved therapy offering improved outcomes.
