Viral Hepatitis
Session 27: Viral Hepatitis
Total Session Time: 60 minutes
Pre-requisites
Students Learning Tasks
By the end of this session students are expected to be able to:
and symptoms)
Needed:
SESSION OVERVIEW
|Step |Time |Activity/ |Content |
| | |Method | |
|1 |5 minutes |Presentation |Introduction, Learning Tasks |
|2 | 15 minutes|Presentation |Cause and Transmission of viral |
| | | |Hepatitis |
|3 |15 minutes |Presentation |Signs and Symptoms of viral |
| | | |Hepatitis |
|4 |15 minutes |Presentation |Treatment, Prevention and Control |
| | | |of viral Hepatitis |
|5 |5 minutes |Presentation |Key Points |
| 6|5 minutes |Presentation |Evaluation |
SESSION CONTENTS
STEP 1: Presentation of Session Title and Learning Tasks (5 minutes)
READ or ASK students to read the learning tasks and clarify
ASK students if they have any questions before continuing
STEP 2: Cause and Transmission of Viral Hepatitis (15 minutes)
o Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver, which may result from
various causes, both infectious i.e. viral, bacterial, fungal, and
autoimmune and metabolic diseases
o Acute viral hepatitis is a systemic infection predominantly
affecting the liver caused by hepatotropic viral agents namely
Hepatitis A virus (HAV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus
(HCV), Hepatitis D virus (HDV), and Hepatitis E virus (HEV)
o In most cases, acute viral hepatitis leads to a self-limiting
disease but can take a fulminant course and lead to hepatic
failure
o This is a chronic inflammatory reaction that on going beyond 6monts
from the acute infection.
o Most common causative agents are HBV, HCV, and HDV which
potentially leads to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and portal
hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic failure.
o Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are transmitted
by faecal-oral route through consumption of contaminated food or
water
o Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through exposure to
infective blood, semen, and other body fluids. HBV can be
transmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birth
or from family member to infant in early childhood. Transmission
may also occur through transfusions of HBV-contaminated blood and
blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures,
and through injection drug use
o Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is mostly transmitted through exposure to
infective blood. This may happen through transfusions of HCV-
contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections
during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. Sexual
transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
STEP 3: Signs and Symptoms of Viral Hepatitis (15 minutes)
o Fever, anorexia, malaise, jaundice and abdominal pain
o Enlarged and tender liver
o Altered consciousness, coma (hepatic encephalopathy), and bleeding
stigmata (in fulminant cases)
o Usually asymptomatic
o Right upper quadrant abdominal pains
o Fatigue, malaise, anorexia, low grade fever; jaundice is frequent
in severe disease
o Ascites, variceal bleeding, encephalopathy, coagulopathy, and
hypersplenism
o Urticarial, arthritis, vasculitis, polyneuropathy,
glomerulonephritis, thyroiditis
STEP 4: Treatment, Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis (15
minutes)
Treatment of Acute Hepatitis
o There is no specific treatment to alter the course of acute viral
hepatitis
o Supportive management including hydration, feeding, control fever
and pain if present is required.
o Fulminant cases may require specific antiviral medications
o Hepatits B Virus
o Hepatitis C Virus
o Immunization
o Personal and environmental hygiene
o Safe sexual practices
o Safe blood
STEP 5: Key Points (5 minutes)
various causes, both infectious i.e. viral, bacterial, fungal, and
and metabolic diseases
the liver caused by hepatotropic viral agents namely Hepatitis A virus
(HAV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Hepatitis D
virus (HDV), and Hepatitis E virus (HEV)
potentially leads to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and portal
hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic failure.
usually asymptomatic
involves use of antiviral drugs in chronic hepatitis
STEP 6: Evaluation (5 minutes)
References
Hugo and Russell (2011), Pharmaceutical Microbiology 8th Edition, Willey-
Blackwel publications
Karen C. Carroll et al (2013); Jawetz, Melnick and Adelberg’s Medical
Microbiology 26th Ed. McGraw Hill Co. Inc.
Greenwood et al (2012); Medical Microbiology, 18th edition Churchill
Livingstone
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