Acute fulminant hepatitis E virus genotype 3e infection: Description of the first case in Europe. (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Festa, Stefano; Garbuglia, Anna Rosa; Baccini, Flavia; Panzuto, Francesco; Capobianchi, Maria Rosaria; Santino, Iolanda; Purchiaroni, Flaminia; Orgera, Gianluigi; Delle Fave, Gianfranco; Marignani, Massimo
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. Volume 46:Number 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 727
• Page End: 731
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.3109/00365548.2014.928417
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0036-5548

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most important causative agent of acute hepatitis in developing countries. The disease is usually characterized by a self-limiting, benign course. However, when particular conditions coexist (pregnancy, old age, pre-existing liver disease) it may run an unfavourable course. To date, 4 HEV genotypes have been described. Historically, in the Western world, HEV infection was considered a travel-related disease, however in the last 2 decades a great number of non-travel-related autochthonous cases have been described, more often related to genotype 3 or 4 and in the context of zoonosis. We report the case of an elderly Italian man with an acute fulminant HEV infection genotype 3e that developed in the context of pre-existing liver disease; this is the first case of an unfavourable outcome associated with subgenotype 3e. The potential pathogenicity of this subgenotype together with the influence of host-related risk factors are discussed.</p> </abstract>