Pischke, Sven and Behrendt, Patrick and Bock, Claus-Thomas and Jilg, Wolfgang and Manns, Michael P. and Wedemeyer, Heiner (2014) Hepatitis E in Germany-an Under-Reported Infectious Disease. DEUTSCHES ARZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL, 111 (35-36). pp. 577-583. ISSN 1866-0452
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Background: At least 17% of the population in Germany has been infected with the hepatitis E virus (HEV); thus, HEV infections are more frequent than was previously assumed. However, fewer than 500 HEV infections were reported to the Robert Koch Institute in 2013. Method: Review of pertinent literature retrieved by a selective search in PubMed. Results: Persons living in Germany generally acquire hepatitis E infection within the country by consuming infected and undercooked pork; in rare cases, hepatitis E infections are imported from the tropics. HEV can be transmitted via blood products, blood transfusions, and organ transplantation. More than 99% of HEV infections are asymptomatic and self-limiting, but there are also severe cases with acute liver failure. Immunosuppressed persons can develop chronic HEV infection, potentially leading, within a few years, to liver cirrhosis with life-threatening sequelae. Moreover, HEV infection may be associated with extrahepatic manifestations such as Guillain-Barre syndrome. In two retrospectively evaluated case series, ribavirin was found to be active against HEV and can be used to treat either acute or chronic HEV infection. Conclusion: Hepatitis E must be considered in the differential diagnosis of elevated hepatic enzyme levels and of systemic and neurological conditions of uncertain origin. The infection is usually self-limiting but can take a severe course in immunosuppressed persons. In such cases, ribavirin can be used as an antiviral treatment.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | E VIRUS-INFECTION; ORGAN-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS; STEM-CELL TRANSPLANTATION; E OUTBREAK; HEV; SEROPREVALENCE; RIBAVIRIN; PREVALENCE; PATIENT; HEALTH; |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene |
| Depositing User: | Petra Gürster |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Aug 2020 10:27 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Aug 2020 10:27 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/9586 |
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