Archive · 2 Aug 2025
WHO Declares Hepatitis D Carcinogenic: What You Need To Know
Hepatitis D is a serious liver infection, now labeled as cancer-causing by the WHO.
It needs another virus, Hepatitis B, to survive and spread.
You can get Hepatitis D either at the same time as Hepatitis B or if you already have Hepatitis B. Symptoms are like other hepatitis types, including fever, stomach pain, and jaundice.
It spreads through contact with infected blood or body fluids, such as through sex or sharing needles.
Since it is linked to an increased risk of liver cancer, the WHO hopes this information will lead to increased screening and innovative treatments.
Hepatitis D, a deadly virus, has been declared carcinogenic by WHO-IARC.
Hepatitis D, or HDV, requires Hepatitis B to replicate and cannot infect on its own.
HDV is associated with a two- to six-fold increased liver cancer risk compared to HBV alone.
There are two types of HDV infection: coinfection (with HBV) and superinfection (after HBV).
HDV can be transmitted through contact with infected blood or body fluids.
- Who
- The World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC).
- What
- Hepatitis D, a deadly, liver-damaging virus linked to increased liver cancer risk, has been declared carcinogenic.
- When
- The WHO-IARC made the carcinogenic declaration.
- Where
- Worldwide.
- Why
- To encourage increased screening and treatment development.
- Virus Name
- Hepatitis D (HDV)
- Requires
- Hepatitis B (HBV)
- Associated Risk
- Increased risk of liver cancer
- Transmission
- Contact with infected blood/body fluids
- Types of Infection
- Coinfection and superinfection
- Global impact
- An estimated 48 million people worldwide are afflicted.