Goudeau A, Dubois F, Leturcq P
Laboratoires de Bactériologie et de Virologie, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours.
Presse Med. 1987 Dec 12;16(42):2117-22.
Hepatitis delta virus is a small defective RNA virus that replicates only in the presence of hepatitis B virus. Delta infections occur in two circumstances: co-infections where both viruses are acquired simultaneously, and superinfections where delta virus infects a patient who is already a chronic carrier of hepatitis B virus. In both cases, delta virus may induce a more severe outcome of the disease. Diagnostic tests of delta infection have recently become available and should be used in all cases of acute hepatitis B occurring in populations at risk of delta infection such as intravenous-drug addicts. Prevention of delta infection is essentially based on immunization against hepatitis B of populations exposed to both viruses.
丁型肝炎病毒是一种小型缺陷RNA病毒，仅在乙型肝炎病毒存在的情况下才能复制。丁型肝炎感染发生在两种情况下：两种病毒同时感染，以及丁型肝炎病毒感染已为慢性乙型肝炎病毒携带者的患者，即重叠感染。在这两种情况下，丁型肝炎病毒都可能导致更严重的疾病后果。最近已出现丁型肝炎感染的诊断检测方法，应将其用于所有发生在有丁型肝炎感染风险人群（如静脉注射吸毒者）中的急性乙型肝炎病例。预防丁型肝炎感染主要基于对同时接触两种病毒的人群进行乙型肝炎免疫接种。
