The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.

SMJ // Article

Case Report

Acute Hepatitis E Infection in a Visitor to Louisiana

Authors: James Edward Walker, Jr, MD, PHD, Todd Martin Brown, MD, Thomas Lanier Hagood, MD, William Morgan Cassidy, MD

Abstract

A man from Africa had been visiting Mississippi and Louisiana when he had development of acute hepatitis. Although hepatitis E is endemic to many parts of the world and has been associated with large outbreaks, it has remained relatively uncommon in this country. With growing foreign travel and an ever-increasing number of cases reported nationally, hepatitis E infection should be considered more frequently in the differential diagnosis of acute hepatitis.


Key Points


* Hepatitis E virus infection is usually benign and self-limited.


* There is a higher fatality rate in pregnant women.


* Hepatitis E virus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis with negative serology for hepatitis A, B, and C viruses.


* Person-to-person transmission is rare.

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