How does Hepatitis B virus caue people have cirrhosis ?
Having a chronic HBV infection eventually may lead to serious liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Having had HBV infection as an infant or child gives you a greater chance of developing these illnesses as an adult. In addition, hepatitis B puts you at risk of acute liver failure — a condition in which all the vital functions of the liver shut down. When that occurs, a liver transplant is necessary to sustain life. Anyone chronically infected with HBV is also susceptible to infection with another strain of viral hepatitis — hepatitis D. Formerly known as delta virus, the hepatitis D virus needs the outside coat of HBV in order to infect cells. You can’t become infected with hepatitis D unless you’re already infected with HBV. Injection drug users with hepatitis B are most at risk, but you can also contract hepatitis D if you have unprotected sexual contact with an infected partner or live with someone infected with hepatitis D. Having both hepatitis B and hepatitis D make
