User:Mr. Ibrahem/Hepatitis E

Hepatitis E is an infection of the liver by the hepatitis E virus (HEV); it is a type of viral hepatitis. Symptoms may include tiredness, nausea, pain over the liver, dark urine, and yellowish skin; though many have no symptoms. Onset of symptoms is generally 2 to 10 weeks after exposure and symptoms last 2 to 6 weeks. Occasionally, in people with a weakened immune system, the infection does not resolve and may result in complications such as cirrhosis. Severe infections, resulting in acute liver failure, may occur in pregnant women.

Hepatitis E is mainly spread by drinking contaminated water; though it may also spread by eating under-cooked meat. It does not typically spread directly between people. The virus is a positive-sense, nonenveloped, single-stranded, RNA icosahedral. Diagnosis can be by blood or stool tests. The disease can be separated into 8 genotypes, of which 4 primarily cause disease in people. Other types of viral hepatitis include A, B, C, D, and X.

Prevention is by using clean water and appropriate toilets. A vaccine (HEV 239) is available to prevent the disease in China. Treatment is generally symptomatic care including rest and drinking sufficient fluids. Ribavirin may be used for chronic cases. In 2015 it results in about 44,000 deaths. During the third trimester of pregnancy up to 25% of women may die.

In 2017, hepatitis E was estimated to affect more than 19 million people. It occurs more commonly in the developing world, particularly in Asia. Males aged 15 to 30 are most commonly affected. It may occur as an outbreak due to poor access to safe water. Outbreaks of hepatitis E date back to at least 1955 in New Delhi. The virus was isolated in 1983 by Russian scientists investigating an outbreak in Afghanistan.