1. Hepatitis Slideshow Pictures
2. Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures
3. Infectious Mononucleosis Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.

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Medical Author:

Mohamad El Mortada, MD

Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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In this Article

• What is hepatitis?
• How is the hepatitis B virus spread (transmitted)?
• What are the symptoms of acute hepatitis B infection?
• What are the symptoms of chronic hepatitis B infection?
• How is hepatitis B diagnosed?
• What is the role of a liver biopsy in chronic hepatitis B?
• What is the natural course of chronic hepatitis B?
• What medications are used to treat hepatitis B?
• What are the effects of alcohol on hepatitis B?
• What are the effects of immunosuppressive medications on hepatitis B?
• What is delta hepatitis?
• What about co-infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus?
• What happens in co-infection with hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus?
• What is the role of liver transplantation in hepatitis B?
• What can be done to prevent hepatitis B?
• What is new in the treatment of hepatitis B?
• Hepatitis B At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Hepatitis B - Describe Your Experience
• Patient Comments: Hepatitis B - Treatments
• Patient Comments: Hepatitis B - Transmission
• Find a local Gastroenterologist in your town
• Hepatitis B Index

Delta hepatitis is caused by a virus that only infects people who already have hepatitis B. The delta hepatitis virus (also known as hepatitis D or HDV) is an RNA virus, meaning that its genetic material is made up of ribonucleic acid. It is spread through exposure to contaminated blood, especially with illicit, intravenous drug use, and by sexual contact. Delta hepatitis can be acquired at the same time as acute hepatitis B. When this happens, infected people are quite sick but more than 95% are eventually able to eliminate the viruses from their bodies. People who already have chronic hepatitis B can acquire delta hepatitis as well. This often causes severe inflammation of the liver, and the viruses are less likely to be cleared.

Delta hepatitis makes chronic hepatitis B much worse. It increases the risk of complications, especially cirrhosis, which occurs in up to two-thirds of patients.

There is no vaccine against delta hepatitis. Interferon treatment may cause improvement in the hepatitis, but relapse is common after therapy is stopped. Prevention includes avoiding contaminated needles and practicing safer sex (abstaining or limiting the number of partners, using barrier methods of contraception). Universal vaccination of newborns with hepatitis B vaccine effectively prevents delta hepatitis because the delta hepatitis virus only causes disease in the presence of hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that is spread through contaminated needles or blood products and, less commonly, through sexual intercourse. About 10% of patients with chronic hepatitis B also are co-infected chronically with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The two viruses interfere with each other and one usually predominates. If hepatitis C is the predominant infection, treatment is directed against the hepatitis C. Patients infected with both viruses are at higher risk for complications of liver disease. There is no effective vaccine against hepatitis C. Persons with hepatitis C should be vaccinated against hepatitis B to prevent co-infection.