Hepatitis E: Prevention is the Key

Table of Content

• Understanding Hepatitis E

• Causes of Hepatitis E

• Symptoms of Hepatitis E

• Diagnosis of Hepatitis E

• Treatment of Hepatitis E Infection

• Hepatitis E: Prevention is the key

• Take-Home Points

• FAQ on Hepatitis E

Understanding Hepatitis E

It refers to the inflammation of the liver caused by infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV), mainly transmitted via the fecal-oral route, principally via contaminated water.

The disease is highly prevalent in East and South Asia.

Hepatitis E Factsheet

Let us know risks, genotypes, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis E infection.

Who are at Risk of Hepatitis E virus infection?

The people who are at high risk of Hepatitis E virus infection are:

• People of age group: 15-44 years

• Pregnant women

Genotypes of Hepatitis E Virus

The genotypes of the Hepatitis E virus are:

• Genotype 1 in Asia and Africa

• Genotype 2 in Mexico and West Africa

• Genotype 3 in the United States

• Genotype 4 in Taiwan, China

• Genotype 7 in liver transplant recipients in UAE who ate camel meat and milk.

Some of the important aspects of the Hepatitis E virus genotype are:

• Sporadic cases are caused mostly by the genotype 1 virus, and much less frequently by genotype 2 virus. These are caused by contaminated water.

• In areas with better sanitation and water supply, hepatitis E infection is caused by genotype 3 virus. It is related to undercooked animal meat in such cases.

• In immunosuppressed people, it is caused by genotype 3 or 4 HEV

Causes of Hepatitis E

The causes of Hepatitis E virus infection are:

• Poor sanitation

• Poor water supply

• Crowded camps/houses/refugees

• Undercooked meat

• Shellfish – outbreak in cruise ship passengers

Symptoms of Hepatitis E

Symptoms of Hepatitis E virus infection are:

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Loss of appetite

• Stomach pain

• Jaundice

• Dark urine

• Clay-coloured stool

• Joint pain

Diagnosis of Hepatitis E

The diagnosis of Hepatitis E is based on travel history, jaundice, undercooked food history and serological and nucleic acid test.

• Travel history: This includes travel history from the Hepatitis E-endemic area.

• Jaundice: This includes the History of jaundice. There may be unexplained symptoms of liver injury.

• Undercooked food history

• Serological and nucleic acid test: Presence of antibody against HEV or HEV RNA in the serological and nucleic acid test

Treatment of Hepatitis E Infection

A proper treatment plan to recover from Hepatitis E comprises of:

• Rest

• Nutrition

• Fluid

• Avoid alcohol

• Avoid over-the-counter drugs

• Anti-virals

Hepatitis E: Prevention is the key

It is important to prevent Hepatitis E, and it is possible by following the proper care steps. These are:

• Drink clean water

• Good sanitation

• Eat properly cooked food

• Good immunity

• Eat healthy. Stay healthy.

Take-Home Points

• All you need to know about the Hepatitis E virus is that it occurs in an infected person’s stool. You can get it by drinking contaminated water and undercooked food.

• Some causes of Hepatitis E are raw or undercooked pork, eating wild boar meat, eating shellfish and weakened immunity.

• Its symptoms include tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach pain, nausea and jaundice. 

• There is no vaccination available, and without any complications, you can be recovered. You can prevent Hepatitis E.

References

• https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hev/index.htm

• https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hev/hevfaq.htm#section5

• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-e