Hepatitis E, like hepatitis A, is transmitted through ingesting contaminated food or water.
All five hepatitis viruses, including HAV (Hepatitis A Virus), HBV (Hepatitis B Virus), HCV (Hepatitis C Virus), HDV (Hepatitis D Virus), HEV (
Hepatitis E Virus), are present in the country.
Hepatitis E is most common in South East Asia and often occurs during the monsoon season or freak flooding, due to fecal contamination of drinking water.
Among 599,605 cases tested for hepatitis A, 44,663 (7.4%) were positive, and among 187,040 tested for
hepatitis E, 19,508 (10.4%) were positive.
Incidentally, viral
hepatitis E is a very rare condition.
Hepatitis E virus is similar to the hepatitis A virus in mode of transmission and the duration of the disease, although it tends to occur as part of large water- or food-borne epidemics.
An experimental vaccine for
hepatitis E has proved nearly 96 percent protective in a test among soldiers in Nepal.
We investigated a case of
hepatitis E acquired after persons ate wild boar meat, Genotype 3
hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was detected in both patient serum and wild boar meat, These findings provided direct evidence of zoonotic foodborne transmission of HEV from a wild boar to a human.
Viral
Hepatitis E: This form of viral hepatitis is similar to viral hepatitis A.
Testing for
hepatitis E is being developed but is not yet available.