What is hepatitis E?

Early this week, there were reports of an outbreak of hepatitis E infection in Uganda. Most of us are fairly familiar with hepatitis B. The outbreak, however, necessitates the need for us to understand more about hepatitis E also.

Hepatitis E virus commonly causes liver disease. It is transmitted mainly through contaminated drinking water. It is usually a self-limiting infection and resolves within four to six weeks. Occasionally, a fulminant form of hepatitis develops (acute liver failure), which can lead to death. Globally, there are approximately 20 million incidents of hepatitis E infections every year.  Most cases of hepatitis E are observed in regions where low standards of sanitation increase the risk for transmission of the virus. The hepatitis E virus is transmitted mainly through faecal contamination of drinking water. Other transmission routes include ingestion of products derived from infected animals; transfusion of infected blood products; and vertical transmission from a pregnant woman to her foetus. Since hepatitis E is a waterborne disease, contaminated water or food supplies have been implicated in major outbreaks. Sporadic cases follow ingestion of raw or uncooked shellfish.