— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
Japanese researchers have found a case of a
hepatitis B strain (genotype) that appears to cause an immediate
chronic infection in adults.
Infants and children who are infected with HBV
often develop chronic infections because their young immune systems do
not recognize the virus and fight off infection. Most adults, however,
are able to fight off a hepatitis B infection following an acute and
brief infection unless their immune systems are compromised.
In the March issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology,
researchers describe a 47-year-old man who developed a new HBV
infection. However, after the initial bout of infection, the man
developed a chronic or persistent infection. Researchers found he was
infected with HBV genotype H. This genotype has been found primarily in
Southern and Central America.
"This case suggests that there is a risk of
persistent infection by HBV genotype H following acute hepatitis,"
researchers wrote. They recommended additional studies on patients with
genotype H and suggested that doctors may consider performing HBV
genotype tests on patients with new, acute infections to fine-tune
their treatment response.
Source: HBV Journal Review, April 2014Labels: chronic HBV, Genotype H
