This document provides information on the different types of hepatitis viruses. It discusses hepatitis A-E and additional viruses such as hepatitis G. For each type of hepatitis, it covers the virus classification, transmission routes, clinical presentation, diagnosis and prevention/treatment approaches. The highest causes of death are from hepatitis B and C, which can lead to chronic liver disease if not addressed. Vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B, while treatment has advanced for hepatitis C using new antiviral medications. Sanitation and safe food/water handling can help prevent transmission of the hepatitis viruses.

1. Asmat Ullah
ICCBS Karachi
1

2.  Silent killer
 Maximum morbidity A&E
 Maximum Mortality B&C&D
 8th leading cause of death in the world
 Food borne hepatitis A&E
 Blood borne and Secretion B&C&D
 About 1 million die due to chronic B&C
2

3. 3
Types of Hepatitis
A B C D E
Source of Virus Feces
Blood/ Body
Fluids
Blood/ Body
Fluids
Blood/ Body
Fluids
Feces
Routes of
Transmission
Fecal-oral Skin, Mucosa Skin, Mucosa
Skin,
Mucosa
Fecal-oral
Chronic Infection No Yes Yes Yes No
Family/ Genus
Picornaviridae /
Hepatovirus 72
Hepadnaviridae /
hepadnavirus
Flaviviridae Unclassified Caliciviridae
Size/ Genome
27-30 nm, ss
RNA
142 nm, circular
ds DNA
30-50 nm ss
RNA
35-40 nm ss
RNA
27- 34 nm ss
RNA
Prevention Vaccine Vaccine No Vaccine Vaccine No Vaccine
Ensure Safe
Drinking Water
Blood Donor Screening
Ensure Safe
Drinking
Water
High Risk Behavior Modification

4. Hepatitis A infectious hepatitis caused by
Hepatitis A virus (HAV).
 Overall in 2016, 7 134 persons died from
hepatitis A worldwide (WHO)
 The disease characterized by non-specific
symptoms such as fever, chills, headache,
fatigue, generalized weakness and aches and
pains, followed by anorexia, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea ,jaundice .
It causes fulminant hepatitis in HIV patients.
4

5. 5

6. Agent Factors
a) Agents
 RNA virus from Picornavideae family
 It multiplies only in hepatocytes
b) Resistance
 Virus is resistant to heat and chemicals
 Formalin is effective disinfectant
6

7. Diagnosis
 Detection of IGM antibodies
 RT PCR
Vaccine
 Inactivated and live attenuated vaccines have
been developed
 Avaxim Sanofi Avenitis (Pakistan ltd)
Treatment
 Nonspecific ,dietary and long rest
7

8. 8

9.  Acute systemic infection caused by HBV
 Liver inflammation ,jaundice and sometimes
liver cirrhosis and liver cancer
 Endemic(Asia)
9

10. 10

11. Agents
 Caused by HBV
 It is DNA virus called Dane particle
 Replicates in liver cell
Infective material
 Contaminated blood is main source
 Body secretions are other source
Chronic Hepatitis
2-10% progress to chronic state. -occur in
approx.
Perinatal -90%
Childhood -30-50%
After 5 yr. of age -5-10%
11
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b

12. b) High Risk Group:
People from endemic regions
Babies of mothers with chronic HBV
Intravenous drug abusers
People with multiple sex partners
Hemophiliacs and other patients requiring
blood and blood product treatments
Health care personnel who have contact with
blood Patients who are immunocompromised.
12

13. Host factors
a) age
 More frequent in children than adults
 In Pakistan 90% children get infected before
age of 10
 Sex
 both sexes are equally susceptibility
b) Immunity
 Immunity lasts throughout life
13

14. c) Humoral and cellular response:
They stimulate the
Corresponding
antibody
Incubation Period
45-180 days (usually 60-90 days)
14

15. Mode of Transmission
Parenteral- IV drug abusers, health workers
are at increased risk.
Sexual- sex workers and homosexuals are
particular at risk.
Perinatal (Vertical) – mother (HBeAg+)
→infant. Mothers who are HBeAg positive are
much more likely to transmit to their offspring
than those who are not. Perinatal transmission
is the main means of transmission in high
prevalence populations.
15

16. Diagnosis
Serology
Liver Chemistry tests
AST, ALT, ALP, and total Bilirubin
Histology--Immunoperoxidase staining
HBV Viral DNA--Most accurate marker of viral
DNA and detected by PCR
Liver Biopsy--to determine
grade(Inflammation) and stage(Fibrosis) in
chronic Hepatitis
16

17. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/hepb.html#testing
17

18. Prevention
Vaccination
- highly effective recombinant vaccines
Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (HBIG)-exposed
within 48 hours of the incident/ neonates
whose mothers are HBsAg and HBeAg positive.
Other measures
-screening of blood donors, blood and body
fluid precautions.
18

19. Treatment
Pegylated interferon
 Entecavir
Tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate
Lamivudine (Epivir HBV)
(relapse ,drug resistance)
Adefovir dipivoxil (Hepsera)
19

20. 20

21. Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by
the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
The infection is often asymptomatic, but
chronic infection can ultimately lead to
cirrhosis.
It is estimated that 71 million people, or ~3%
of the world's population, are living with
chronic hepatitis C.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-c
21

22. Pakistan and Egypt Endure 80% of disease
burden .
Overt jaundice is seen in about 5 % of
patients only.
The important part in type C hepatitis is the
chronic illness.
About 50 to 80 % of patients progress to
chronic hepatitis.
22

23. 23

24.  HCV is a 50-60 nm virus with a linear, single
stranded RNA genome, enclosed with in a
core
 Genus Hepacivirus
 Family Flaviviridae.
 The half life of the virus particles in the
serum is around 3 hours and may be as short
as 45 minutes.
 In addition to replication in liver the virus
can multiply in lymphocytes
24

25. .
25

26. Incubation Period 40-120 days
Mode of Transmission
i. Intravenous Drug Use
ii. Healthcare Exposure: Blood Transfusion,
transfusion of Blood products ,Organ Transplant
without HCV screening carry significant risk of
infection.
iii. Hemodialysis
iv. Accidental injuries with needles/sharps
v. Sexual/household exposure to anti-HCV-
positive contact
vi. Multiple sex partners
vii. Vertical Transmission: Vertical transmission of
hepatitis C from an infected mother to her child
26

27. HCV antibody – ELISA used to diagnose hepatitis C
infection. Not useful in the acute phase as it takes
at least 4 weeks after infection before antibody
appears.
HCV-RNA - various techniques are available e.g.
PCR and branched DNA. May be used to diagnose
HCV infection in the acute phase. However, its
main use is in monitoring the response to antiviral
therapy.
•HCV-antigen - an EIA for HCV antigen is
available. It is used in the same capacity as HCV-
RNA tests but is much easier to carry out.
27

28. Prevention
Only General Prophylaxis, such as blood,
tissue, organ screening, is possible.
No specific active or passive immunizing agent
is available.
Treatment
Interferon - may be considered for patients
with chronic active hepatitis.
The response rate is around 50% but 50% of
responders will relapse upon withdrawal of
treatment.
28

29. Ribavirin - there is less experience with
ribavirin than interferon.
However, recent studies suggest that a
combination of interferon and ribavirin is more
effective than interferon alone.
Direct Acting Antiviral
Simeprevir
Paritaprevir Telaprevir
 Daclatasvir
 Elbasvir Ledipasvir
29

30.  Sofosbuvir
 Dasabuvir
Combinations
Elbasvir/Grazoprevir
(ZEPATIER)
Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir
(Harvoni)
Simeprevir/Sofosbuvir
Ombitasvir, paritaprevir,
ritonavir 1 dasabuvir
Sofosbuvir 1 Velpatasvir
(EPCLUSA)
30

31. 31

32. Hepatitis D, also referred to as hepatitis D
virus (HDV) and classified as Hepatitis delta
virus, is a disease caused by a small circular
enveloped RNA virus.
HDV is considered to be a sub viral satellite
because it can propagate only in the presence
of the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
32

33. Defective virus depends HBV
15 to 20 million infected with
HDV
8 genotypes
33
Viruses 2017, 9(7), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/v9070172

34. Incubation Period
2-12 weeks
Mode of Transmission
The primary route of Transmission are believed
to be similar to those of HBV, though HDV does
not appear to be sexually transmitted disease.
34

35. Clinical Features
Infection is dependent on HBV replication, as
HBV provides an HBsAg envelop for HDV.
Does not contain own polymerase .
Two types of infection are recognized,
coinfection and superinfection.
In Coinfection, delta and HBV are transmitted
together at the same time.
In Superinfection, delta infection occurs in a
person already harboring HBV.
35

36. Diagnosis
Delta antigen is primarily expressed in liver
cell nuclei, where it can be demonstrated by
immunofluorescence.
Anti-delta antibodies appear in serum and
can be identified by ELISA.
IgM antibody appears 2-3 weeks after infection
and is soon replaced by the IgG antibody in
acute delta infection.
36

37.  Myrcludex B
 lonafarnib
37

38. 38

39. Hepatitis E is a viral hepatitis (liver inflammation)
caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV).
 Although Hepatitis E often causes an acute and
self-limiting infection but with low mortality rates.
 It bears a high risk of developing chronic
hepatitis in immunocompromised patients with
substantial mortality rates.
 WHO estimates that 44 000 deaths in 2015
(accounting for 3.3% of the mortality due to viral
hepatitis).
 In pregnant women the disease is more often
severe and is associated with a clinical syndrome
called fulminant hepatic failure
39

40. 40

41. Signs and Symptoms
Acute Infections:
 The incubation period of hepatitis E varies from 3
to 8 weeks.
 After a short prodromal phase symptoms lasting
from days to weeks follow. They may include
jaundice, fatigue and nausea.
 Viral RNA becomes detectable in stool and blood
serum during incubation period.
 Serum IgM and IgG antibodies against HEV appear
just before onset of clinical symptoms.
41

42. Agents
HEV is spherical non enveloped virus, 29-nm to 32
nm in diameter, with a ssRNA genome.
The surface of the virion shows indentation and
spikes.
The Virus is very labile.
II has been classified in the genus Herpes virus
under the family Caliciviridae.
Incubation Period
2-9 weeks
Animal Reservoir: Pigs
42

43. Mode of Transmission
It is spread mainly by the fecal-oral route due
to fecal contamination of water supplies or
food; person-to-person transmission is
uncommon.
43

44. Diagnosis
ELISA kits are available for IgG and IgM
antibodies, using recombinant and synthetic
peptide antigens.
Prevention
Sanitation:
Avoid drinking water of unknown purity,
uncooked shellfish and uncooked
fruit/vegetables not peeled or prepared by
traveler.
44

45. Hepatitis G
GB virus C (GBV-C), formerly known as hepatitis G
virus (HGV) and also known as HPgV is a virus in
the Flaviviridae family and a member of the Pegivirus
genus, is known to infect humans, but is not known to
cause human disease.
HGV RNA has been found in patients with acute,
chronic and fulminant hepatitis, hemophiliacs, patients
with multiple transfusions and hemodialysis,
intravenous drug addicts and blood donors.
World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Aug 14; 14(30): 4725–4734.
45

46.  World J Gastroenterol. 2017 May 28; 23(20): 3589–3606.
 MichellePardeeDNP, FNP-BC Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis B and C
Nursing Clinics of North America Volume 54, Issue 2, June 2019
 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-a
 Vasiliy Ivanovich Reshetnyak, Tatiana Igorevna Karlovich, Ljudmila
Urievna Ilchenko. Hepatitis G virus World J Gastroenterol. Aug
14,2108; 14(30): 4725-4734
 Stanley M. Lemon Type A viral hepatitis: epidemiology,
diagnosis, and prevention Clinical Chemistry 43:8(B) 1494–
1499 (1997)
 Troy Kish, PharmD, BCPS, Andrew Aziz, PharmD, and Monica
Sorio, PharmD Hepatitis C in a New Era: A Review of Current
Therapies P T. 2017 May; 42(5): 316–329
46