Hepatitis E is an uncommon inflammation of the liver in Western countries, brought about by 4 possible variants of the Hepatitis E virus (HEV) that accidentally entered the body through contaminated food or drink.
In most cases, HEV hepatitis is acute in nature and spontaneously resolves completely. There is a non-negligible risk that the E virus will give rise to fulminant hepatitis, even lethal, especially in pregnant women.
Only one variant of the virus can cause chronic hepatitis in people immunocompromised due to HIV infection or immunosuppressive therapies.
