Hepatitis E virus.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatitis E is an emerging infectious disease. This review will focus on recent advances in the zoonotic transmission, global distribution and control of hepatitis E.


RESULTS
Hepatitis E virus infection is known to cause waterborne epidemics and sporadic infections in developing countries. Recently, there have been several reports on zoonotic foodborne autochthonous infections of hepatitis E in developed countries. Hepatitis E typically causes self-limited acute infection. Recent reports have documented hepatitis E virus causing chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in patients after solid organ transplantation. High incidence and severity of hepatitis E in pregnant women have been re-confirmed. The reason for high mortality in pregnant women remains ill understood. A recombinant hepatitis E vaccine has been evaluated in a phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Nepal and was found to be well tolerated and efficacious.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been considerable advance in understanding the epidemiology of hepatitis E virus infections in western countries. The occurrence of chronic hepatitis in organ transplant recipients opens a new chapter in hepatitis E epidemiology. The report on an efficacious and well tolerated recombinant vaccine gives hope for control of the disease in the near future.
Khuroo
Mohammad S
MS
Digestive Disease Centre, Dr Khuroo's Medical Clinic, Srinagar, India. khuroo@drkhuroo.org
Khuroo
Mehnaaz S
MS
D000818:Animals; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D014943:Global Health; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014871:Water Microbiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000821:virology*