Causes of Hepatitis E

Some people may wonder, "What are some specific hepatitis E causes?" Hepatitis E has only one cause. The disease occurs through infection with the hepatitis E virus, which commonly happens through "fecal-oral transmission." This type of transmission can occur when a person eats or drinks something that has been contaminated with the stool of someone infected with the hepatitis E virus. It can also result from placing a utensil or other infected object into the mouth.

 

An Overview of Hepatitis E Causes

What are the causes of
 hepatitis E? There is only one cause of hepatitis E -- an infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV). The hepatitis E virus is an RNA virus that belongs to the genus hepevirus of the Hepeviridae family.
 
When a person is infected with the hepatitis E virus, the virus is able to enter liver cells from the blood and then use those cells to make more copies of the hepatitis E virus. As more and more of the hepatitis E virus is made in the liver cells, the cells can become damaged and may even die.
 
A person infected with the hepatitis E virus may develop a sudden onset of fever, extreme tiredness, nausea, lack of appetite, abdominal pain (or stomach pain), and yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (known as jaundice). Yet, not everyone infected with the hepatitis E virus will develop symptoms.
 
Unlike several other types of viral hepatitis, a person with hepatitis E will not develop a long-term liver infection (known as chronic hepatitis). Also, once you have had hepatitis E, you cannot get it again.
 
(Causes of Hepatitis E Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD