Hepatitis D

October 2007     View PDF     En español

How do you find out you have hepatitis D?

If you think that you were exposed to HDV or other hepatitis virus, talk to your doctor as soon as possible and explain why. Your doctor can diagnose hepatitis D by doing a physical exam, liver function tests (LFTs) and an antibody blood test.

Diagnosing hepatitis D can be difficult though. The blood test looks for HDV antibodies—what your immune system makes in response to the HDV. However, these may not be found until after 30 days after your symptoms first appear. Also, the test can only tell if HDV is present but not the state of the illness—not as well as the tests do for HBV. A new test is being developed to help diagnose hepatitis D faster and easier.

Your doctor may also rely upon other signs to help make the diagnosis. If your acute HBV infection seems rather severe, it may point to co-infection with HDV. As well, should your chronic hepatitis B suddenly get worse, it may point to super-infection with HDV. In some people with super-infection, their LFTs can peak twice—once when HBV infection starts and again at the time of getting HDV.