ERN RARE-LIVER Nurses Webinar Series 11.11.2025: Hepatitis Delta: Who’s testing who?

Please use this link: https://uke-de.zoom-x.de/j/62739179681?pwd=npNibzWbdZ8SzNmu8CeoGiAP3Sd0TD.1

Speakers: 

Rachel Jackson, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Kathryn Jack , Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Chairs:

Martina Fellinghauer, Vienna General Hospital (AKH Wien)

Agenda:

Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) is a defective DNA virus which infects the liver. Tiny and incomplete, it requires the surface antigens of Hepatitis B Virus in order to infect hepatocytes, but its size and defects mask its potential for harm. HBV patients co-infected with HDV have worse clinical outcomes than those infected with HBV alone. As the World Health Organisation – to which the UK is a signatory – aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, management of this rare virus must be investigated to ascertain how many patients are being tested, by whom and what strategies are required to ensure that as many patients as possible are screened, linked to care and retained in care.

Our recent study into a cohort of 1580 HBV-positive patients gives a detailed breakdown of who is likely to be screened for HDV at our hospital and who isn’t, giving an insight for nurses working as viral hepatitis specialists as to who might have been overlooked for screening in their own cohorts and what might be the barriers and facilitators to screening and management.

This topic is important for nurses working in liver disease, as it is often overshadowed or neglected amongst diseases with higher patient numbers and exciting new treatments, such as Hepatitis C. However, although HDV patients have been historically overlooked, new treatments such as Bulevertide and Lonafarnib have recently entered the market, making finding, assessing and treating these patients a priority. A simple blood test should make this easy and routine, but many patients are missing out on being screened.

Focused points to be discussed during the webinar:

• What is HDV? Molecular biology, pathology
• Epidemiology of Nottingham’s HBV / HDV patients: presenting a breakdown of how testing happened (or didn’t happen) in our hospital
• Clinical guidelines: Who sets them? What do they say?
• Blood tests: What needs to be ordered?
• Treatments: What’s available? Who should be treated?

Short bios:

Rachel Jackson Rachel is a clinical research nurse with an interest in the epidemiology of Hepatitis B and D, and in how people with viral hepatitis can be recruited for screening, linked to care and be successfully retained in care. She is currently in the first year of a PhD at the University of Nottingham and still does regular clinical work at Nottingham University Hospitals.

Kathryn Jack is a Lead Nurse for Nursing Research and Innovation in the surgical care group at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. She has over 30 years acute and chronic disease patient care experience and has worked as a specialist nurse and researcher in the field of viral hepatitis and liver disease since 1999 in both hospital and community locations. Kathryn has an honorary assistant professor position at the University of Nottingham in the School of Health Sciences. In 2019 she was awarded a PhD following a mixed-methods research study into the impact of opt-out hepatitis C virus testing in prisons. She has experience in Realist Evaluation methodologies, observational studies, qualitative research, and the JBI approach to systematic reviews. Kathryn is an editorial board member of the Gastrointestinal Nursing journal’s liver supplement and a steering committee member of HCV Action (a national group for professionals). Kathryn is currently leading studies in the field of viral hepatitis, enables non-medical clinical academic activity in clinical areas, and holds an NIHR Senior Clinical Practitioner Research Award. 

Martina Fellinghauer is a Hepatology nurse specialist working in endoscopy at the Vienna General Hospital (AKH Wien) as a registered nurse since 2013. She has completed training in practical education, quality management, and risk management. Since 2022, Martina is the head of the nurses’ department at the outpatient clinic for the gastroenterology & hepatology (including endoscopy), rheumatology, nephrology, and endocrinology. Currently studying prevention management to expand her expertise. A board member of IVEPA (Association of Endoscopy Nurses Austria) since 2016, and working with LCNA (Liver Care Nursing Austria) to bring hepatology out of the shadows in the nursing setting. Since 2025, we have been part of AHOP (Austrian Association of Hematological and Oncological Nursing Professionals) in order to pool resources and expertise. Working in the ERN Nurse Taskforce also enriches the work in her own country.