Hepatitis Delta Virus, more common known as Hepatitis D or HBV, was discovered in 1977. An Italian doctor, Mario Rizzetto, noticed an abnormality in the cells of hepatitis B (HBV) patients. The new antigen in the liver was first thought to come from HBV; however after more research it was discovered that it was its own virus. Hepatitis D is a virus affecting many around the world. (Chhibber and Shanh, 2005) There are two different kinds of the virus that can be acquired, co-infection and super infection. Different strands of HDV are affecting different parts of the world, some parts have all three. Treatment for HDV has not been determined yet, but there are preventative measures that can be taken.
“HDV is an incomplete virus that requires …show more content…
Super infection occurs when a person already has chronic hepatitis B and contracts HDV. Super infection is characterized by hepatic encephalopathy this is shown by changes in behavior, confusion, difficultly concentrating, and coma. The mortality rate of fulminant hepatitis is about eighty percent. When someone had chronic Hep D infection it will lead to the progression of liver cirrhosis in about 60-70% of patients. (Chhibber and Shanh, 2005) It could take a patient with HBV five to ten years to develop liver cancer, but in a patient with HDV infection this could present itself within just two years.
There is no set incubation date, but normally after three to seven weeks symptoms start to shows. Symptoms that a patient normally exhibit when they are infected with HDV are fever, lethargy, nausea, anorexia. These few symptoms begin and last from three to seven days. After those symptoms fade away, jaundice, fatigue, nausea will continue, and the bilirubin will become abnormal. (Hepatitis D General, 2011) During this time the stool will become clay colored and urine will be dark in color, signs that the liver is not efficiently excreting …show more content…
The doctor should notice the symptoms while doing a physical examination. (Levin, 2009) If it is chronic hepatitis, it will be detected when a liver biopsy is done. Liver biopsy tissue can be graded to see how severe the case is. This procedure will most likely be repeated through the course of the disease to track progression or response to therapy. Though prevention of HDV is prevented with all the same measures of HBV, the treatment is not the same. (Levin, 2009) The treatment typically given to positive hepatitis B patients is an interferon therapy, and this has little effect on the virus hepatitis D. There is no specific treatment for hepatitis D at this time.
In conclusion, Hepatitis Delta Virus can be a fatal virus. This virus affects people around the whole world, though it is not seen very often in the United States. HDV consists of single stranded, circular RNA virus that attacks the cells of a liver. How it affects a person depends on how it was contracted. If HDV was contracted at the same time or is co-infected with HBV then it has a small chance of becoming chronic, but normally a person fights off both viruses naturally. This leaves them with immunity against the virus hepatitis B. On the other hand, HDV can be contracted as a super infection, occurring when a person already has the hepatitis B virus and then contracts hepatitis delta virus. Super infection has a much more rapid decline in the patient’s health. Preventative
“HDV is an incomplete virus that requires …show more content…
Super infection occurs when a person already has chronic hepatitis B and contracts HDV. Super infection is characterized by hepatic encephalopathy this is shown by changes in behavior, confusion, difficultly concentrating, and coma. The mortality rate of fulminant hepatitis is about eighty percent. When someone had chronic Hep D infection it will lead to the progression of liver cirrhosis in about 60-70% of patients. (Chhibber and Shanh, 2005) It could take a patient with HBV five to ten years to develop liver cancer, but in a patient with HDV infection this could present itself within just two years.
There is no set incubation date, but normally after three to seven weeks symptoms start to shows. Symptoms that a patient normally exhibit when they are infected with HDV are fever, lethargy, nausea, anorexia. These few symptoms begin and last from three to seven days. After those symptoms fade away, jaundice, fatigue, nausea will continue, and the bilirubin will become abnormal. (Hepatitis D General, 2011) During this time the stool will become clay colored and urine will be dark in color, signs that the liver is not efficiently excreting …show more content…
The doctor should notice the symptoms while doing a physical examination. (Levin, 2009) If it is chronic hepatitis, it will be detected when a liver biopsy is done. Liver biopsy tissue can be graded to see how severe the case is. This procedure will most likely be repeated through the course of the disease to track progression or response to therapy. Though prevention of HDV is prevented with all the same measures of HBV, the treatment is not the same. (Levin, 2009) The treatment typically given to positive hepatitis B patients is an interferon therapy, and this has little effect on the virus hepatitis D. There is no specific treatment for hepatitis D at this time.
In conclusion, Hepatitis Delta Virus can be a fatal virus. This virus affects people around the whole world, though it is not seen very often in the United States. HDV consists of single stranded, circular RNA virus that attacks the cells of a liver. How it affects a person depends on how it was contracted. If HDV was contracted at the same time or is co-infected with HBV then it has a small chance of becoming chronic, but normally a person fights off both viruses naturally. This leaves them with immunity against the virus hepatitis B. On the other hand, HDV can be contracted as a super infection, occurring when a person already has the hepatitis B virus and then contracts hepatitis delta virus. Super infection has a much more rapid decline in the patient’s health. Preventative