Hepatitis E (patient information)

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Hepatitis E
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
When to seek urgent medical care?
Diagnosis
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Hepatitis E?
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Hepatitis E On the Web
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
Images
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse
NICE Guidance
FDA on Hepatitis E
CDC on Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E in the news
Blogs on Hepatitis E
Directions to Hospitals Treating Hepatitis E
Risk calculators and risk factors for Hepatitis E

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S

Overview

Hepatitis E is a viral hepatitis (liver inflammation) caused by infection with a virus called hepatitis E virus (HEV)

What are the symptoms?

The incidence of hepatitis E is highest in adults between the ages of 15 and 40. Though children often contract this infection as well, they less frequently become symptomatic. Mortality rates are generally low, for Hepatitis E is a “self-limiting” disease, in that it usually goes away by itself and the patient recovers. However, during the duration of the infection (usually several weeks), the disease severely impairs a person’s ability to work, care for family members, and obtain food. Hepatitis E occasionally develops into an acute severe liver disease, and is fatal in about 2% of all cases. Clinically, it is comparable to hepatitis A, but in pregnant women the disease is more often severe and is associated with a clinical syndrome called as 'fulminant hepatic failure'. Pregnant women, especially those in the third trimester, suffer an elevated mortality rate from the disease ~20%.

• Jaundice
• Malaise
• Anorexia
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Hepatomegaly
• Other less common features include diarrhea, arthralgia, pruritus, and urticarial rash. Some patients have asymptomatic infection.

Diagnosis

The following tests are done to identify and monitor liver damage from hepatitis B:

• Albumin level
• Liver function tests
• Prothrombin time
• Antibody test

Treatment options

Hepatitis E usually resolves on its own over several weeks to months.

Possible Complications

Chronic hepatitis, Liver failure

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Prognosis mostly is good with only few patients developing chronic hepatitis

Prevention

Improving sanitation is the most important measure, which consists in proper treatment and disposal of human waste, higher standards for public water supplies, improved personal hygiene procedures and sanitary food preparation. Thus, prevention strategies of this disease are similar to those of many others that plague developing nations, and they require large-scale international financing of water supply and water treatment projects. A vaccine based on recombinant viral proteins has been developed

Diseases with similar symptoms

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis D
• Hepatitis E

Sources

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralhepatitis/#hepe