A Case of Acute Hepatitis E with the Travel History to an Endemic Area.
- Author:
Soon Sub KIM
1
;
Chang Dong YEO
;
Jin Dong KIM
;
Hyeon Seong KIM
;
Jeong Won JANG
;
Chang Wook KIM
;
Si Hyun BAE
;
Jong Young CHOI
;
Seung Kew YOON
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine and WHO Collaborating Center on Viral Hepatitis, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. yoonsk@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report ; English Abstract
- Keywords:
Hepatitis E virus;
Acute hepatitis;
anti-HEV
- MeSH:
Acute Disease;
Adult;
English Abstract;
Female;
Hepatitis E/*diagnosis;
Humans;
India;
Travel
- From:The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology
2004;44(6):342-345
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Hepatitis E is a self-limited and enterically transmitted acute viral hepatitis that occurs from epidemic outbreaks of developing countries and sporadic hepatitis in non-endemic areas. In endemic areas, hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis and hepatic failure in pregnancy. Its mortality rate has been reported up to 20%. In non-endemic areas, HEV infection without any travel history is very rare. In Korea, only one case of simple hepatitis E without any travel history to endemic areas was reported. Recently, we experienced a case of acute hepatitis. The patient who had a travel history to India, showed watery diarrhea and high fever. Transaminase level and total bilirubin were increased, and prothrombin time was prolonged. It was positive for IgM anti-HEV and IgG anti-HEV, and showed no evidence of other viral infections or drug ingestion history. In spite of absence of useful test such as seroconversion of IgM anti-HEV and HEV RNA PCR, we diagnosed the case as an acute hepatitis E from his symptom, travel history and initial serologic marker. We report this as a case of hepatitis E infected from endemic areas.
