Hepatitis D
From IKE
Hepatitis D is one of the viral causes of hepatitis, also referred to as the delta agent. It is a unique RNA virus that can only replicate in the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), and never alone. As such, it co-infects or super-infects along with with hepatitis B, also aggravating it. Diagnosis includes searching for the anti-HDV IgM, though treatment is only supportive care.
Clinically, HDV infection is typically manifested by unusually severe acute hepatitis B (up to 50% of cases of fulminant hepatitis B are associated with HDV co-infection), an acute exacerbation in chronic HBV carriers (superinfection), or a relatively aggressive course of chronic hepatitis B. Because hepatitis D co-infects with hepatitis B, prevention involves immunization for HBV.
