Welcome to Hepatitis Delta Connect!
A dedicated program of the Hepatitis B Foundation to increase awareness about hepatitis delta - a serious virus that coinfects hepatitis B patients - and to promote screening and testing, and provide information and support for those affected.
Missed our latest Webinar on Challenges & Opportunities in Implementing Large-Scale Hepatitis Delta Testing in the United States?
We were joined by Dr. Su Wang and Bijou Hunt, who shared findings from a recent pilot program to conduct hepatitis delta testing for individuals who tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen in eight different healthcare centers around the United States. They discussed the prevalence of hepatitis delta found in the study, as well as barriers and successes in incorporating hepatitis delta testing into the hepatitis B care cascade, and lessons learned. Check it out today!
Watch here!
New Podcast! Silent Epidemic: Unveiling the Challenges of Hepatitis B & Delta
Check out this podcast episode from Elma Research, in which the conversation explores the ongoing efforts to address hepatitis B and D with Beatrice Zovich from the Hepatitis B Foundation. In this conversation, we look at challenges in diagnosis, the stigma many patients face, and the Foundation’s work to increase awareness and improve policy. Whether you're a healthcare provider, a patient, or simply interested in public health, we hope you'll find this discussion insightful.
Listen here!
Check Out Our Recent Webinar! Hepatitis Delta Virus in Uzbekistan: A Deep Dive
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) remains one of the least tested conditions globally, yet its prevalence is increasingly documented in regions like Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In this insightful webinar, Dr. Malika Khodjaeva, PhD, MPH, from the Research Institute of Virology in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, shares critical insights into HDV prevalence in Uzbekistan, access to testing and treatment, and the future outlook for combating the disease.
Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of HDV and learn about the steps being taken to address this pressing global health challenge.
Watch the recording here!
Check Out A New Position Statement on Standardized Surveillance for Hepatitis D Virus Infections
This position statement proposes a standardized surveillance case definition for hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections, commonly known as hepatitis D. Establishing a standardized definition is important because HDV is currently a reportable disease in only 31 jurisdictions of the United States (meaning that, once an individual tests positive for hepatitis delta, this must be reported to the CDC, which would help greatly with surveillance of the disease). The case ascertainment process will rely on clinical and laboratory reports, with case classifications divided into confirmed and probable. This framework aims to improve the accuracy and comparability of HDV surveillance efforts.
Read here.
Get Connected
New YouTube Video! What happens if HDV infection is not treated?
Check out this YouTube video featuring Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer, Director of the Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectiology and Endocrinology at Hannover Medical School in Germany, as he explains the symptoms and consequences of an untreated HDV infection.
This video is part of the Insights on HDV and HBV series, which is an informative resource designed to equip the community with the essential knowledge to understand the risk of hepatitis D in the context of the hepatitis B virus.
Watch the video here!
In another video from the series, Heleine Kefalakes, a specialist in internal medicine at the Department for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectiology and Endocrinology at the Hannover Medical School in Germany gives a lecture titled “Standard of treatment in Germany and worldwide”
Watch the video here!
New Hepatitis Delta Survey Available!
The Hepatitis B Foundation has launched a hepatitis delta survey, in order to better understand the life experiences of people who have been diagnosed and are living with hepatitis delta, from testing to diagnosis to management. The purpose of this survey is to begin to document these experiences and collect this data to hopefully lead to a better understanding of the virus and be able to advocate for better testing and treatment practices. The survey should not take more than ten minutes to complete and there is an option to provide contact information if you would like to participate in a short interview to further discuss your experiences. The survey has also been translated into fourteen languages - you can indicate your language preference in the drop-down menu in the upper right-hand corner. The survey can be found here. If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact beatrice.zovich@hepb.org.
Thank you very much for your time and interest!
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New Clinical Practice Guidelines from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)
EASL has published hepatitis delta clinical guidelines with recommendations for testing and surveillance. Read the new guidelines here!