Summary

• Most people are asymptomatic, although some will present with complications such as cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver failure.
• People from endemic areas (Asia, Africa, eastern Europe), or injection drug users and those with high-risk sexual behaviours, are at an increased risk.
• Serological markers are essential in making the diagnosis and evaluating disease activity, including differentiating between people with acute and chronic infection and chronic asymptomatic carriers.
• Therapy for acute infection is almost always supportive care alone. However, some patients with acute infection may develop liver failure and these patients may require referral to liver transplant centre.
• Therapy for chronic infection includes nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, interferon-alfa, and pegylated interferon-alfa.