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Med. Pr. 2005;56(4)

Hepatitis D virus superinfection - a rare cause of occupational disease

Nadkażenie wirusem zapalenia wątroby typu D jako rzadka przyczyna choroby zawodowej

Brygida Knysz1, Jacek Gąsiorowski1, Małgorzata Inglot1, Paweł Piszko1, Andrzej Gładysz1, Jerzy Ciecierski2 1 Wrocław Medical University Wrocław, Poland 2 Regional Hospital for Infectious Diseases Opole, Poland

Abstract

The authors present a case of occupational HDV infection in a 38-year-old nurse, HBsAg carrier, injured by a needle contaminated with blood of a drug user infected with HIV, HBV and HCV. After 2 months she developed acute viral hepatitis. HBV, HCV, HIV,CMV, EBV and other non-viral liver diseases were excluded. Finally, based on the source of exposure with high probability of HDV infection, the patientśs positive serological test for HDV, and the result of histological examination of the liver, the diagnosis of viral hepatitis type D was established. Our case report suggests the need to consider possible occupational HDV infection in certain circumstances as described above.

Key words

HDV infection, occupational disease