Generality
Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by HEV, a small non-enveloped RNA virus which - similar to the causative agent of hepatitis A - is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, therefore through the consumption of water and food contaminated with infected feces .
Fortunately, hepatitis E is rare in Italy, as indeed in other industrialized countries, while it is often present in an epidemic or sporadic form in developing regions, where overcrowding and precarious hygienic conditions are fertile ground for its spread.
Symptoms
For further information: Hepatitis E Symptoms
After the infection, the incubation period varies from two to nine weeks; on average it lasts about 40-50 days.
The disease therefore begins with a symptomatic process similar to that of hepatitis A (jaundice, anorexia, malaise, abdominal and joint pain, high fever); the symptoms are more serious in pregnant women, so much so that in a non-negligible percentage of cases (around at 10-20%) the virus is responsible for fulminant hepatitis.
Contagion and Prevention
Particular attention, therefore, when going to developing countries, where it is necessary to respect some simple rules, such as the fact of rinsing the vegetables and fruit thoroughly, and peeling the latter before consumption. It is also very important to consume meat and fish (especially shellfish) only after generous cooking.
Beyond food, a very important vehicle of infection is water; that taken from the tap or from common sources should always be boiled for at least 5-10 minutes, while that in the bottle can be consumed with greater peace of mind, as long as it is uncorked under your eyes. Pay attention also to ice cubes - which should never be consumed directly or added to drinks - and to the water used to brush your teeth: it should also be safe, therefore bottled. bathing in rivers and seas it is good to pay attention that water does not enter the mouth.
Individual prevention of hepatitis E is completed with the common rules of personal hygiene, such as careful and frequent hand washing, especially after being in the toilet and before handling food; finally, objects such as toothbrushes, cutlery, glasses and towels should be strictly for personal use.
In addition to humans, the HEV virus also affects some animals, including pigs and deer; episodes of transmission of the infection have been described after the consumption of raw wild boar and deer meat; the real danger of this possible path of contagion however remains to be clarified. In any case, for safety, it is advisable to consume pork only after "adequate cooking (this is useful for preventing various other diseases, such as toxoplasmosis).
Treatment
Cases of hepatitis E tend to be self-limiting and hospitalization is generally not required; there is no specific and truly effective therapy, which is why prevention remains by far the most important intervention; a vaccine of recombinant origin, capable of preventing the disease, is already available in China.
Continued: Drugs for the Treatment of "Hepatitis E"
Related topics: hepatitis A; hepatitis B; hepatitis C; hepatitis D; Medicines for the treatment of hepatitis
