Objectives: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for acute hepatitis predominantly in developing countries. In Western Europe and in the US, cases of acute HEV infection are uncommon and occur primarily in travelers returning from endemic countries. The aim of this study was to describe patients with acute hepatitis E in South West France and compare them with patients with acute hepatitis A.
Methods: 23 consecutive patients over 13 months were analysed. Acute hepatitis E was diagnosed on the presence of specific serum antibodies or viral RNA detection in serum or stools. Real time PCR products from viraemic patients were sequenced.
Results: All the HEV sequences belonged to genotype 3. Two patients (8%) died during their hospital stay, both suffered from severe underlying disease. Only 3 patients (13%) had travelled outside of Europe, within 3 months of the onset of disease. When compared to 23 patients with acute hepatitis A at the same hospital and during the same time frame, HEV-infected patients were older (54.4 +/- 16.6 vs 24.5 +/- 16.6, P<0.05), had lower ALT levels (55.4 X upper normal limit +/- 48.6 vs 107.8 X upper normal limit +/- 82.8, P<0.05) and had lower incidence of recent travel outside of Europe (13% in the hepatitis E group vs 60% in the hepatitis A group, P<0.05).
Conclusions: Hepatitis E can be considered an autochthonous infection in South West France. All strains sequenced were related to genotype III. When compared to hepatitis A, HEV-infected patients were older, had lower ALT levels and had a lower incidence of travel outside of Europe.