Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh
HEV is the most common cause of acute hepatitis globally. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, testing, and treatment of HEV infection. We also focused on Bangladesh to highlight the distinct challenges and the possible remedies. In low-income se...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/1/63 |
| _version_ | 1797436493357121536 |
|---|---|
| author | Asma Binte Aziz Joakim Øverbø Susanne Dudman Cathinka Halle Julin Yoon Jeong Gabby Kwon Yasmin Jahan Mohammad Ali Jennifer L. Dembinski |
| author_facet | Asma Binte Aziz Joakim Øverbø Susanne Dudman Cathinka Halle Julin Yoon Jeong Gabby Kwon Yasmin Jahan Mohammad Ali Jennifer L. Dembinski |
| author_sort | Asma Binte Aziz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | HEV is the most common cause of acute hepatitis globally. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, testing, and treatment of HEV infection. We also focused on Bangladesh to highlight the distinct challenges and the possible remedies. In low-income settings, the virus is mainly transmitted between people by fecal contamination of drinking water causing large outbreaks, and sporadic cases. The disease is usually mild and self-limiting acute hepatitis. Still, pregnant women and their offspring in low-income countries are at particular risk for severe disease, with up to 20% maternal mortality. Despite the high burden of the disease, HEV remains a relatively neglected virus, with detection hampered by costly tests and a lack of suitable treatments. Molecular PCR diagnostics, together with ELISA antibody tests, remain the preferred methods for diagnosis of HEV; however, rapid bedside diagnostics are available and could offer a practical alternative, especially in low-income countries. One vaccine (HEV 239) is only available in China and Pakistan, as efficacy against the other genotypes remains uncertain. The effectiveness trial conducted in Bangladesh might lead the way in gathering more efficacy data and could, together with improved surveillance and raised awareness, dramatically reduce the global burden of HEV. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:03:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0a2cbb0186648b58fe138785eff9004 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:03:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0a2cbb0186648b58fe138785eff90042023-12-01T01:07:41ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-12-011516310.3390/v15010063Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on BangladeshAsma Binte Aziz0Joakim Øverbø1Susanne Dudman2Cathinka Halle Julin3Yoon Jeong Gabby Kwon4Yasmin Jahan5Mohammad Ali6Jennifer L. Dembinski7Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, NorwayInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, NorwayInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, NorwayNorwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health, 0213 Oslo, NorwayCarnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USAGraduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-0046, JapanJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, MD 21205, USANorwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health, 0213 Oslo, NorwayHEV is the most common cause of acute hepatitis globally. This review summarizes the latest knowledge on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, testing, and treatment of HEV infection. We also focused on Bangladesh to highlight the distinct challenges and the possible remedies. In low-income settings, the virus is mainly transmitted between people by fecal contamination of drinking water causing large outbreaks, and sporadic cases. The disease is usually mild and self-limiting acute hepatitis. Still, pregnant women and their offspring in low-income countries are at particular risk for severe disease, with up to 20% maternal mortality. Despite the high burden of the disease, HEV remains a relatively neglected virus, with detection hampered by costly tests and a lack of suitable treatments. Molecular PCR diagnostics, together with ELISA antibody tests, remain the preferred methods for diagnosis of HEV; however, rapid bedside diagnostics are available and could offer a practical alternative, especially in low-income countries. One vaccine (HEV 239) is only available in China and Pakistan, as efficacy against the other genotypes remains uncertain. The effectiveness trial conducted in Bangladesh might lead the way in gathering more efficacy data and could, together with improved surveillance and raised awareness, dramatically reduce the global burden of HEV.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/1/63hepatitis E virus (HEV)Bangladeshvaccineepidemiologyendemic zones |
| spellingShingle | Asma Binte Aziz Joakim Øverbø Susanne Dudman Cathinka Halle Julin Yoon Jeong Gabby Kwon Yasmin Jahan Mohammad Ali Jennifer L. Dembinski Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh Viruses hepatitis E virus (HEV) Bangladesh vaccine epidemiology endemic zones |
| title | Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh |
| title_full | Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh |
| title_short | Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Synopsis: General Aspects and Focus on Bangladesh |
| title_sort | hepatitis e virus hev synopsis general aspects and focus on bangladesh |
| topic | hepatitis E virus (HEV) Bangladesh vaccine epidemiology endemic zones |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/1/63 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT asmabinteaziz hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh AT joakimøverbø hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh AT susannedudman hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh AT cathinkahallejulin hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh AT yoonjeonggabbykwon hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh AT yasminjahan hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh AT mohammadali hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh AT jenniferldembinski hepatitisevirushevsynopsisgeneralaspectsandfocusonbangladesh |