Author information
1Sinai Infectious Disease Center, Sinai Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
2Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
3Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack, New Jersey, USA.
4Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA.
5NewYork-Presbyterian Queens/Columbia University, Flushing, New York, USA.
6Norton Healthcare, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
7Asian Health Services, Oakland, California, USA.
8Department of Medicine, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey, USA.
9Family Health Centers at NYU Langone Health, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
10Infectious Disease/Family Treatment Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
Abstract
Hepatitis D (HDV) is a severe infection with well-recognised clinical ramifications that remains relatively neglected and underdiagnosed; consequently, the epidemiology of HDV is poorly characterised, both in the United States and globally. In 2022, a pilot project involving eight healthcare institutions was undertaken to ascertain the prevalence of HDV in healthcare institutions with an HBV seropositivity of at least 1%, describe the characteristics of patients testing positive for HDV, and evaluate diagnostic and laboratory processes of HDV screening. From August 2022 to April 2024, a total of 106,693 patients were tested for HBsAg, of whom 65,341 (61.2%) were female and 40,863 (38.3%) were male, with a mean age of 47 years. The overall HBsAg positivity rate was 1.04% (n = 1112). Among the HBsAg+ samples, 645 (58.0%) underwent HDV Ab testing. The HDV Ab positivity rate was 0.81% (n = 9), with 2 cases of HDV RNA positivity (0.18%). The incomplete testing reflects several challenges associated with screening for both HBV and HDV. Further research is necessary to better understand the epidemiology and burden of HDV in the United States and considerations for implementation.