You might have seen this alarming recent story circle in mainstream news and social media: A 56-year-old resident of Hong Kong was reported to be the world’s first case of rodent hepatitis E. The diagnosis came when his doctors noticed that his test results showed abnormal liver function after receiving a liver transplant. So, what is hepatitis E — and what do we need to do to protect ourselves from yet another hepatitis scare?
Hepatitis E is a liver disease from a viral infection caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV), which is one of the five hepatitis viruses. The ailing man who made headlines in the recent news was carrying a strain of hepatitis that is very unusual among the ones that commonly affect humans. This strain showed a rat variation of the hepatitis E virus. It is certainly not the first case of rodents transmitting diseases to humans, such as leptospirosis. In fact, the rodent variation of the hepatitis E virus was first discovered in Germany in 2009. And while the Hong Kong doctors have noted that the patient has been cured, this first-known, highly uncommon case clearly shows that humans are not immune to the animal transmission of hepatitis E.
Hepatitis E is found across the globe, but the prevalence is highest in East and South Asia. This virus is more common in resource-poor communities and areas without sources of safe drinking water. In the recently reported headline-making case, the patient’s doctors were not certain about how the rodent hepatitis E virus strain was transmitted, but they believe it may be through contamination of water or food by infected rat droppings.
While this viral infection is self-limiting, hepatitis E poses a high risk with serious consequence to the health and well-being of people with weak immune systems. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, hepatitis E is responsible for 3.3% of deaths due to viral hepatitis in 2015.
Symptoms of hepatitis E infection include: jaundice, pale stools, dark urine, nausea and vomiting, reduced appetite, skin itching and rash, abdominal pain, joint paint, and mild fever. Following exposure to the virus, the average incubation period is 5 to 6 weeks. It is common for people infected by HEV to excrete the virus, at any time from within a few days to 3 to 4 weeks after the showing the initial symptoms.
Generally, since hepatitis E infection is self-limiting, there is no specific treatment, and hospitalization is not required. Antiviral ribavirin may be helpful for those with chronic hepatitis E.
Protect yourself from hepatitis E with these simple strategies:
- Strict hygienic practices that include hand-washing with clean water before handling food.
- Ensuring that water sources are up to quality standards.
- Avoid consuming water from unknown and potentially unsafe sources.
To learn more about this virus, click here
To see the WHO’s guidelines for possible outbreaks, click here
For safe food-handling tips, click here
