Hepatitis Gail Lupica PhD, rn, cne hepatitis

Hepatitis C

• “non A, non B Hepatitis”
• “post transfusion hepatitis”
• Transmission: blood, body fluids
• Present in 1% of blood donor population.
• Due to screening of blood, risk due to transfusion is now less than 1%.

Hepatitis C

• Incubation period: average 7 weeks…
• Vaccine: none

Hepatitis C

• Immune serum globulin: not used
• Seriousness: Increases the incidence of primary liver CA
• Most do not clear the virus and a chronic condition develops.
• DX: ELISA - initial screening
• recombinant immunoblot assay= RIBA (more confirmatory) or anti-HCV

Hepatitis D

• “Delta Agent”
• Transmission: Parenteral route
• Same as Hepatitis B. Must be positive for the HbsA in order to contract Hepatitis D. The HDV is an incomplete strand of RNA that can only affect you if you are a carrier of HBV or have the surface antigen.

Hepatitis D

• Incubation period: 14-56 days, but only if HBV present.
• Vaccine: yes, same as Hepatitis B
• Immune Serum Globulin: Hepatitis B immune globulin
• Seriousness: Higher incidence of chronicity and cirrhosis than with Hepatitis B alone.

Hepatitis E

• “Enterically transmitted
• Non-A Non-B hepatitis”
• Transmission: fecal/ oral route
• Only found in US when individuals have visited underdeveloped countries. (Asia, Africa, India, Central America)
• Incubation period: 15-64 days

Hepatitis E

• Vaccine: none
• Immune serum globulin: not effective
• Seriousness: No evidence of chronic or carrier state… Self limiting in its course.