What Is Hepatitis D?
Hepatitis D is a disease of the liver caused by a virus (specifically, the hepatitis D virus). Most people who get this type of hepatitis can get rid of the virus on their own, but others can develop chronic (or lifelong) hepatitis D.
The cause of this condition is an infection with the hepatitis D virus. This virus is a RNA virus that belongs to the genus Deltavirus. Once inside the body, the virus enters liver cells, where it begins to make millions of copies of itself.
However, there is one important difference between hepatitis D and other types of
viral hepatitis. A person who is infected with the hepatitis D virus must also have a
hepatitis B infection in order for the hepatitis D virus to multiply. This is not the case with other types of viral hepatitis. A person must either have chronic hepatitis B or have been infected with the
hepatitis B virus at the same time as they became infected with the hepatitis D virus. Otherwise, the hepatitis D virus cannot multiply.
Acute Versus Chronic Hepatitis D
There are two types of hepatitis D -- acute (recently acquired) and chronic (lifelong).
For most people with the acute form, symptoms gradually get better within a couple of months. These people will have no long-lasting liver damage and will recover completely.
For some people, the body is not able to completely get rid of the virus. These people end up having a long-term liver infection. This is called chronic hepatitis D. People with the chronic variety can infect others and are at an increased risk of serious liver disease, including
cirrhosis and
liver cancer.
