Reconsideration of Hepatitis E 2001.3.15

Reconsideration of Hepatitis E 2001.3.15

Hepatitis E is caused by HEV and was previously referred to as non-A, non-B hepatitis; some cases fall into this category. Since the 1980s, the disease has been prevalent in about 20 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In southern Xinjiang, China, a major outbreak of hepatitis E occurred in 1986. Its clinical symptoms are similar to those of hepatitis A, but jaundice is more common, and severe cases are also more frequent. Adolescents and pregnant women are particularly susceptible, often experiencing more severe illness and higher mortality rates.

In 1983, Soviet scientists first reported the existence of a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus, which was later confirmed by American researchers and named hepatitis E. The clinical presentation of this disease is similar to that of hepatitis A, primarily based on epidemiological data and specific viral culture. Patients with hepatitis E are more likely to develop hepatic encephalopathy than those with hepatitis A, indicating that the disease is more severe and has a longer course—typically lasting 3–4 months, sometimes even over half a year—accompanied by an imbalance in the albumin-to-globulin ratio, reduced total protein, and prolonged prothrombin time, giving the impression of chronic active hepatitis. Unlike other liver diseases that tend to occur in summer and autumn, hepatitis E shows no seasonal pattern. Its main route of transmission is through the gastrointestinal tract, with blood products playing a secondary role.