Vnitr Lek 2025, 71(6):372-376 | DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2025.070

Viral hepatitis: News in diagnosis and therapy

Petr Husa, Petr Husa ml.
Klinika infekčních chorob FN Brno a LF MU Brno

Viral hepatitis remains a serious health problem in the 21st century. In the Czech Republic, the biggest problems currently are repeated local epidemics of viral hepatitis A, an increasing number of cases of acute hepatitis E, and the treatment of viral hepatitis C in drug users. Since May 2025, new recommended procedures from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) have been available, which in some respects change the approach to the diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis B. Viral hepatitis D is still very rare in the Czech Republic, occurring mainly in foreigners. In the case of superinfection with hepatitis D virus (HDV) on the chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, it is the fastest-progressing viral hepatitis to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and therefore great attention must be paid to the diagnosis of HDV infection. Bulevirtide (BLV) is a synthetic lipopeptide, consisting of 47 amino acids from the preS1 domain of the large HBsAg protein, which binds to a specific receptor (sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide - NTCP) on the surface of liver cells, thereby preventing HDV from entering the hepatocyte. BLV is the first approved antiviral drug for the treatment of hepatitis D in patients with compensated liver disease. The number of reported cases of acute hepatitis E in the Czech Republic was mostly around 200-250 cases per year from 2016-2021. In 2022 and 2023 and 2024, there will be an increase to 319 and 684 and 662 cases of acute hepatitis E per year, respectively. This trend is likely to continue (259 reported cases by the end of April 2025).

Keywords: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, persons who inject drugs (PWIDs), hepatitis D, bulevirtide, hepatitis E.

Accepted: September 21, 2025; Published: October 2, 2025  Show citation

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Husa P, Husa P. Viral hepatitis: News in diagnosis and therapy. Vnitr Lek. 2025;71(6):372-376. doi: 10.36290/vnl.2025.070.
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