title: Viral hepatitis: how to manage type C and D infections.
abstract: Hepatitis C and D are relative newcomers to the study of viral hepatitis. Their transmission is mainly parenteral. The 0.5 to 2.2% prevalence of hepatitis C in the United States does not vary by patient age. Often, hepatitis C is asymptomatic. In older patients, symptomatic infection has a cholesteatic appearance, and progress to chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis is more rapid than in younger adults. Hepatitis D virus is a defective single-stranded RNA that presents as a co-infection or superinfection of hepatitis B. Prevalence varies by geographic region. The rate of progression to chronic disease and cirrhosis is high in superinfection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Irvine, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Najm
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin