[Hepatitis E virus infection: a paradigm shift?].
Hepatitis E is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). Hepatitis E is mainly a self-limiting travel-associated disease without chronic evolution. In recent years an increasing number of authochtonous HEV-infections has been described in industrialized countries. HEV-infections frequently take a mild clinical silent course of disease in immunocompetent individuals and thus HEV infection is largely underdiagnosed. Therefore, the anti-HEV-prevalence is much higher than anticipated with 2 - 20% in Western Europe. HEV genotype 3 infections must be considered as zoonotic infections with several animals including swines serving as reservoirs. Cases of HEV-transmissions by blood transfusion were described not only in Asia but also in France and the UK. HEV-infections may take severe courses in pregnant women and patients with chronic liver diseases, sometimes leading to acute liver failure. In addition several centres described cases of progressive chronic HEV-infection in organ transplant recipients and HIV-positive patients during the last two years. In this review we summarize the current state-of-the-art on the knowledge of HEV-infections in industrialised countries.
Pischke
S
S
Gastroenterologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover. pischke.sven@mh-hannover.de
Potthoff
A
A
Hauröder
B
B
Schlué
J
J
Manns
M P
MP
Cornberg
M
M
Wedemeyer
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000821:virology; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral