Reflex Testing for Hepatitis D Infection: A Unique Opportunity to Reduce Hepatitis D‐Related Chronic Liver Disease Deaths in Australia

Chronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection always occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and is the most severe form of viral hepatitis, associated with a high risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. Effective treatment is now available for HDV-HBV coinfection and HDV screening is recommended for all people living with HBV, yet most people in Australia with HDV-HBV are diagnosed too late to prevent complications. This article calls for an urgent change in HDV testing policy and funding to implement reflex HDV antibody (anti-HDV) testing for all people diagnosed with HBV infection, thus enabling timely diagnosis of HDV-HBV coinfection and rapid access to life-saving treatment.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Medical Journal of Australia
Published
2026-04-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.70170
Primary Topic
Hepatitis B Virus Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Reflex Testing for Hepatitis D Infection: A Unique Opportunity to Reduce Hepatitis D‐Related Chronic Liver Disease Deaths in Australia

Krispin Hajkowicz, Jessica Howell, Golo Ahlenstiel, Katharine M. Irvine et al.
The Medical Journal of Australia
Hepatitis B Virus Studies
article

Reflex Testing for Hepatitis D Infection: A Unique Opportunity to Reduce Hepatitis D‐Related Chronic Liver Disease Deaths in Australia

Krispin Hajkowicz, Jessica Howell, Golo Ahlenstiel, Katharine M. Irvine, Wayne Dimech, Miriam Levy, Kathy Merlock Jackson, James O'Beirne, Lan Adams, Sarah G. Cherian, Avik Majumdar, Alexander J. Thompson, Lauren Andersson
article en

Abstract

Chronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection always occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and is the most severe form of viral hepatitis, associated with a high risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. Effective treatment is now available for HDV-HBV coinfection and HDV screening is recommended for all people living with HBV, yet most people in Australia with HDV-HBV are diagnosed too late to prevent complications. This article calls for an urgent change in HDV testing policy and funding to implement reflex HDV antibody (anti-HDV) testing for all people diagnosed with HBV infection, thus enabling timely diagnosis of HDV-HBV coinfection and rapid access to life-saving treatment.

The Medical Journal of AustraliaVol. 224(4)
Burnet Institute (AU), The University of Queensland (AU), The University of Melbourne (AU), The University of Western Australia (AU), Austin Hospital (AU), Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (AU), Liverpool Hospital (AU), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (AU), Blacktown & Mount Druitt Hospital (AU), Menzies School of Health Research (AU), St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (AU), Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (AU), Sunshine Coast University Hospital (AU), Royal Darwin Hospital (AU), National Trauma Research Institute (AU), Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology (AU), Royal Rehabilitation Centre (AU), Alfred Health (AU), Monash University (AU), Western Sydney University (AU)
Openalex Percentile: Top 29%
Hepatitis B Virus Studies
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