How is hepatitis E different from hepatitis B?

The article is professionally consulted by Master. BSCK II Phan Thi Minh Huong - Gastroenterologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital

Among viral hepatitis, hepatitis E and hepatitis B stand out prominently. However, most people only know about hepatitis B and lack knowledge about hepatitis E. So hepatitis E is a disease. What, is it different from hepatitis B?

Hepatitis E is a disease caused by the HEV virus, a single-stranded, positive, non-enveloped RNA virus with poor tolerance.
Every year, around the world it is estimated that about 20 million people have this disease and about 3.5 million people have obvious signs and symptoms. Areas that are considered to have high infection rates include countries in the east and south of Asia, including Vietnam. The disease often occurs and can break out into epidemics in the rainy season, when the water source is heavily polluted.
The incubation period after exposure to the hepatitis E virus is about 3-8 weeks, with an average of 40 days. The stages of infection time are unclear. The disease shows symptoms most often in young people aged 15-40 years, in children often there are no symptoms or the disease is only very mild, without jaundice, so it is difficult to diagnose.
In rare cases, the disease can be transmitted through blood, from mother to child; The disease can also lead to fatal fulminant hepatitis, which is common in pregnant women.
The disease usually goes away on its own without leaving any complications. Patients are generally advised to rest, eat nutritious meals and fluids, avoid alcohol, and consult their doctor before taking any medication that can cause liver damage, especially acetaminophen. . In the case of chronic disease, the drugs indicated are ribavirin, peginterferon or a combination of peginterferon and ribavirin. The type of drug, dose and duration of use depend on the health status of each patient.

Transmission route: Hepatitis E is a disease transmitted through the gastrointestinal tract, hepatitis E virus lives in feces, garbage, dirty sewage through food (unhygienic vegetables) into the human body. Unlike hepatitis E, hepatitis B is transmitted through blood (sexual contact, mother to child, contact with secretions of an infected person).
Progression of hepatitis E : The disease develops acutely causing jaundice, fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhea,... After 7-10 days, the disease usually resolves on its own, does not become a chronic disease, so it does not cause any danger. In contrast, hepatitis B is a chronic disease, which can cause complications such as cirrhosis, liver cancer. Only drugs can be used to reduce the toxin of the liver. Viruses can't be cured. The disease often has no symptoms when the patient is healthy, when there are favorable factors, there will be typical manifestations of liver disease such as hepatitis E.

Vietnam is a country with a high rate of hepatitis E infection due to poor food and water hygiene. In order to prevent this disease, it is necessary to ensure good food hygiene and water source hygiene, to eat cooked food and drink boiling water, wash hands before eating, to manage feces well, not to pollute water sources; control the intermediate organisms that cause contamination such as cockroaches, mice, flies...
Currently, there is no vaccine for hepatitis E. Patients also do not have long-term immunity to the disease, so there is still a risk of recurrence if they eat food and drink contaminated with hepatitis E virus.
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