Definition
Hepatitis E is an inflammatory disease of viral origin that affects the liver. It is a pathology widespread especially in developing countries where hygiene conditions are very scarce, while it is quite rare in industrialized countries, including Italy.
Causes
Hepatitis E is caused by an RNA virus belonging to the Calicivirus family: hepatitis E or HEV virus.
The transmission of the virus takes place via the fecal-oral route, in a similar way to what happens for the hepatitis A virus.
More in detail, the virus is transmitted through the consumption of food or water contaminated by the faeces of infected individuals; this explains why this disease is widespread especially in the weights where there are poor hygienic conditions.
Symptoms
The hepatitis E virus has an incubation period of about 2-9 weeks, after which the symptoms of the disease occur.
The symptomatology of hepatitis E is very similar to that of hepatitis A and consists of the appearance of malaise, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal and articular pains, dark urine, fatigue, fever and jaundice.
The hepatitis E virus causes an acute infection which, however, can develop into dangerous fulminant hepatitis. The subjects most at risk for the development of this serious complication are pregnant women, especially if the infection is contracted during the last trimester of gestation.
Furthermore, in some immunocompromised patients - and especially in those who have undergone an organ transplant - hepatitis E could also become chronic.
Information on Hepatitis E - Drugs for the treatment of Hepatitis E is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Hepatitis E - Hepatitis E Drugs.
drugs
There are no specific drugs for the treatment of hepatitis E, since most cases are self-limiting and tend to self-harm.
However, individuals who contract the virus must make small changes in their lifestyle in order to facilitate healing. More specifically, people suffering from hepatitis E must adopt a balanced and light diet, avoiding fatty foods and alcohol, they must stay at rest and take plenty of fluids.
In addition, patients with hepatitis E should avoid using drugs that can further fatigue the liver.
In immunocompromised patients who have undergone an organ transplant and who contract the hepatitis E virus, it may be necessary to reduce the immunosuppressive therapy (used to prevent rejection), so as to allow the immune system to counteract the viral infection .
However, in patients in whom it is not possible or not sufficient to reduce the aforementioned immunosuppressive therapy, it may be necessary to administer drug therapy. Since there are no specific medicines for the treatment of chronic hepatitis E, so-called off-label drugs can be used.
The term "off-label" means the use of drugs known and used for a long time, for which scientific evidence suggests their use in clinical situations not expressly indicated in the therapeutic indications on the illustrative leaflet of the same drug.
Ribavirin (Ribavirin Three Rivers ®, Ribavirin Teva ®, Rebetol ®): ribavirin is an antiviral drug used, usually, in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in combination with other drugs, such as interferon alpha or peginterferon alfa.
However, ribavirin was used as an off-label monotherapy in chronic hepatitis E treatment in immunocompromised patients, at a dose of 600-800 mg per day for a period of three months. The results obtained following this treatment have been encouraging; in fact, over 50% of patients treated were able to reach viral clearance (ie elimination of the virus from the body).
Prevention
However - as with any disease - prevention remains the best cure. In Europe a vaccine is not currently available for the prophylaxis of hepatitis E, but HEV infection can be prevented by respecting simple hygienic rules and avoiding consuming water or foods that could potentially be contaminated.
In China, instead, a vaccine of recombinant origin is available for the prevention of hepatitis E, marketed under the name of Hecolin ®.
