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Hepatitis D

Summary

  • Hepatitis D (sometimes called Hepatitis Delta or HDV) is different from other types of hepatitis
  • You can only get it if you have hepatitis B. It can make your hepatitis B worse.
  • A small number of people who have hepatitis B in Australia also have hepatitis D.
  • There is no specific vaccine to protect you from hepatitis D. But if you don't have hepatitis B, you can get the hepatitis B vaccine. This will also protect you from hepatitis D.

 

How do you get hepatitis D?

You get hepatitis D in the same way as hepatitis B, by infected blood or sexual fluids getting into your blood. For example, if you are in contact with an open wound, or if you share needles. You can also get it from having sex without a condom with a partner who has the virus. You can't get hepatitis D through saliva (spit). You can't get it through casual contact, like kissing, hugging or sharing food.

It's very unlikely that you will pass on hepatitis D from mother to child. But you can pass it on to people you live with. For example, if you share razors or toothbrushes.
 

Who is more likely to get hepatitis D?

If you have hepatitis B, you should get tested for hepatitis D. You can do this with a blood test. You can only get hepatitis D if you have hepatitis B.

In Australia, it's more common to have hepatitis D if you were born in Vietnam, Sudan or Afghanistan.

You're also more likely to get hepatitis D if you have ever been in prison.

This picture shows the places where more people live with hepatitis D.


Passing on hepatitis delta to others

You can get hepatitis D at the same time as hepatitis B. This is a co-infection. Or you can get it after you've had hepatitis B for a long time. This is a superinfection.

If you are co-infected with hepatitis D, you are more likely to only have acute (short-term) hepatitis D . This means you will have it for less than six months and your body will clear the virus. But you are also more likely to have very serious liver failure.

Superinfection is the most common form of hepatitis D. If you have this you're more likely to have hepatitis D for your whole life (chronic). A superinfection means you are more likely to get cirrhosis (serious liver scarring), liver failure and liver cancer.
 

Signs of hepatitis D

Many people with hepatitis D may feel well for a long time. The signs are like those for hepatitis B. They can be mild to severe, and can include:

  • Fever, feeling tired, muscle or joint pain
  • Not feeling hungry
  • Feeling sick in your stomach and vomiting
  • Stomach pain
  • Pale or light-coloured poo
  • Dark or brown urine (

Serious signs that mean you need to go to the doctor straight away include:

  • Feeling really sick in your stomach and vomiting a lot
  • Yellow eyes and skin (called "jaundice")
  • Bloated or swollen stomach

Even if your signs are mild, see a doctor straight away.
 

Can I take medicine to treat hepatitis D?

The current medicines for hepatitis B do not work for hepatitis D. A small number of people have used something called pegylated interferon alpha, and it worked. But for most people there are no treatments that work well.

Researchers are testing some new medicines for hepatitis D. If you have hepatitis D, you can talk to your doctor to see if there are any clinical trials you can take part in.

It's important to keep going to check-ups with your doctor if you have hepatitis B every 6 to 12 months. It's even more important if you have hepatitis D, because you are more likely to get liver damage. It is also important that your doctor knows you have hepatitis D. This is because it can affect the results of some of your tests.
 

 
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