Viral Hepatitis E

Hepatitis E (HE) is an acute infectious disease caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). The virus leads to the degeneration of liver cells, general intoxication, and jaundice. Previously known as neither A nor B hepatitis, the disease spreads through the alimentary route. The disease starts with a prodromal period lasting 1-10 days (typically 3-4 days) with symptoms like nausea, weakness, and rarely, fever. The jaundice period lasts about 12-14 days, during which patients may feel better. However, around 25% of patients continue to experience weakness, loss of appetite, pain in the right side, joint pain, and itchy skin. Fatal cases usually result from hepatic encephalopathy, hemorrhagic diathesis, and renal failure.

Healthcare professionals diagnose HE by detecting HEV in fecal filtrate using electron microscopy and by detecting anti-HEV in blood using ELISA or EIA methods. No specific treatment exists. HEV, part of the Hepeviridae family and Hepevirus genus, has an RNA genome. The virus is heat-sensitive, inactivating at temperatures above 60°C for 15 minutes, and can be disinfected with iodine, 1% sodium hypochlorite, formaldehyde, or glutaraldehyde. However, similar to HAV, it persists in sewage and seawater for long periods.

Hepatitis E is prevalent in India, Asia, Central Asia, and Africa. In economically developed countries, travelers frequently contract the disease. Infected individuals with symptomatic and asymptomatic forms of HE spread the virus. The primary transmission route is fecal contamination of the environment. Infected individuals excrete the virus in feces from 4 days post-infection to 2 weeks after jaundice onset.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė