Hepatitis Delta Virus among Hepatitis B Virus-Infected Patients in Jordan: Where Do We Stand?

Infection by Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) which can only replicate in the presence of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The prevalence of HDV in Jordan is lacking. Blood samples were randomly obtained from 100 patients seropositive for active HBV. Sera were analyzed using highly sensitive and specific ELISA kits for the presence of specific HBV and HDV antigens and antibodies. Overall, samples were collected from 70 males and 30 females with an average age of 37.9 years and an age range of 13-62 years. 94% of the samples were from individuals older than 18 years. All samples were confirmed for the presence of active HBV infection. The 1 and 3% of the HBV infected individuals demonstrated markers of active and recovered HDV infection, respectively. These findings suggest that HBV positive individuals have a small but significant risk of acquiring HDV. We recommend the implementation of periodical testing for HDV infection among all HBV infected individuals and the administration of the HBV vaccine to unvaccinated individuals.