Hepatitis D

October 2007     View PDF     En español

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms, when they are present, are flu-like. When people first get HDV, most of them (9 in 10) will not feel symptoms. However, the older you are the more likely you may have symptoms. In acute disease, symptoms usually occur about 4–6 weeks after exposure to the virus. Illness can last from a couple of weeks to up to six months. In chronic disease, symptoms may be more severe and occur off and on as the illness returns over time. People living with HIV can face even more troubling bouts of illness.

In both acute and chronic disease, if symptoms do appear they may include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, body aches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and itching. More severe symptoms include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine and changes in stool. Some people may have less frequent and lighter symptoms while others have symptoms that linger. Some may need to stop work or school in order to recover.

A very small number of people, most often older adults or those with chronic liver disease, can quickly develop a severe form of liver failure when they get HDV. This is called fulminant hepatitis. Although it’s serious, most people will recover from the condition.