Hepatitis D infection occurs only in conjunction with infection by which virus?

Study for the NCLEX Hepatic and Biliary Exam. Enhance your knowledge with flashcards and multiple choice questions, featuring hints and explanations. Get prepared and boost your confidence for test day!

Multiple Choice

Hepatitis D infection occurs only in conjunction with infection by which virus?

Explanation:
Hepatitis D is a defective, satellite virus that cannot complete its life cycle without a helper virus. It relies on the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) provided by Hepatitis B to coat its virions and enable replication. Because of this dependence, Hepatitis D infection can occur only in people who are infected with Hepatitis B— either at the same time or as a superinfection in someone with chronic Hepatitis B. In contrast, Hepatitis A, C, and E do not supply the necessary HBV envelope, so they cannot enable HDV infection. This is also why vaccination against Hepatitis B effectively prevents Hepatitis D.

Hepatitis D is a defective, satellite virus that cannot complete its life cycle without a helper virus. It relies on the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) provided by Hepatitis B to coat its virions and enable replication. Because of this dependence, Hepatitis D infection can occur only in people who are infected with Hepatitis B— either at the same time or as a superinfection in someone with chronic Hepatitis B. In contrast, Hepatitis A, C, and E do not supply the necessary HBV envelope, so they cannot enable HDV infection. This is also why vaccination against Hepatitis B effectively prevents Hepatitis D.

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