Hepatitis D

 Hepatitis D : Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) officially classified the Hepatitis D virus (HDV) as carcinogenic to humans. With this, HDV joins Hepatitis B and C as a major contributor to liver cancer.

• About Hepatitis D : A serious blood-borne viral infection that depends entirely on the presence of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) to replicate. It cannot infect or multiply on its own and occurs in two forms: Co-infection: Simultaneous infection with both HBV and HDV.

o Superinfection: HDV infects a person already chronically infected with HBV.

• Common Symptoms of Hepatitis D, often misdiagnosed, include fatigue, jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, and dark-colored urine.
• Transmission : Through infected blood, unprotected sex, unsafe injections, and from mother to child during birth.
  • Why Is HDV Considered Cancer-Causing:

  o Aggravates HBV infection: Increases the risk of liver cancer by 2 to 6 times compared to HBV alone.

  o Rapid liver damage: Up to 75% of co-infected individuals develop cirrhosis within 15 years, vs. ~50% in HBV-only cases.

  o Faster progression: Leads to early onset of fibrosis and liver failure, especially among younger patients.

  o Mechanism: HDV hijacks HBV’s replication system, dramatically increasing viral load and oncogenic risk.