[A case of acute hepatitis E with the travel history to an endemic area].
Hepatitis E is a self-limited and enterically transmitted acute viral hepatitis that occurs from epidemic outbreaks of developing countries and sporadic hepatitis in non-endemic areas. In endemic areas, hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis and hepatic failure in pregnancy. Its mortality rate has been reported up to 20%. In non-endemic areas, HEV infection without any travel history is very rare. In Korea, only one case of simple hepatitis E without any travel history to endemic areas was reported. Recently, we experienced a case of acute hepatitis. The patient who had a travel history to India, showed watery diarrhea and high fever. Transaminase level and total bilirubin were increased, and prothrombin time was prolonged. It was positive for IgM anti-HEV and IgG anti-HEV, and showed no evidence of other viral infections or drug ingestion history. In spite of absence of useful test such as seroconversion of IgM anti-HEV and HEV RNA PCR, we diagnosed the case as an acute hepatitis E from his symptom, travel history and initial serologic marker. We report this as a case of hepatitis E infected from endemic areas.
Kim
Soon Sub
SS
Department of Internal Medicine and WHO Collaborating Center on Viral Hepatitis, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul 137-040, Korea.
Yeo
Chang Dong
CD
Kim
Jin Dong
JD
Kim
Hyeon Seong
HS
Jang
Jeong Won
JW
Kim
Chang Wook
CW
Bae
Si Hyun
SH
Choi
Jong Young
JY
Yoon
Seung Kew
SK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D014195:Travel