Patient's question:
My junior high school classmate Xia Li had a child, and we were all planning to visit their home next Sunday. However, she called us today and asked us not to come, saying she would call us again later. She told us that her husband, who is currently in self-isolation in a small room at home, unknowingly contracted hepatitis E. She was worried that we might get infected by him if we visited their home.Doctor's answer:
Hello. From an etiological perspective, hepatitis E is a viral hepatitis caused by the hepatitis E virus, similar to hepatitis A, primarily spread through the fecal-oral route. If you consume animal organs, food, or water contaminated with the hepatitis E virus, you may contract hepatitis E. Although hepatitis E is less common compared to hepatitis A and hepatitis B, its severity is by no means insignificant. When hepatitis E occurs, patients not only experience common liver symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and loss of appetite but are also at high risk of developing life-threatening complications like hepatic encephalopathy and disseminated intravascular coagulation.