Consultation: The Alphabet of Hepatitis

Valérie M. from Düsseldorf asks: "My neighbor was diagnosed with hepatitis E. How can I protect myself from infection?"

Walter Frasch In recent years , we became more and more aware that hepatitis E was also important in Germany. Many people know that hepatitis A is a typical travel sickness, for example because of raw seafood, as hepatitis B can be transmitted through badual contact or even from the mother to the new born. Both diseases can be reliably prevented by vaccination. Hepatitis C, which is usually transmitted by blood components, can be cured for a few years, eventually medically very safe. The rest of "the alphabet of hepatitis" has been somewhat neglected.

There are several subspecies of hepatitis E, called genotypes. Genotypes 1 and 2 play an important role in Asia, Africa and Central America. There, it comes after infection on contaminated drinking water often to severe disease processes, especially in pregnant women. For us, these genotypes are just as important as motion sickness.

Genotype 3 is present in Germany. In serum studies, it is estimated that up to 20 percent of the population experience such an infection during their lifetime. The disease usually appears mild, heals alone and is therefore usually not detected in the acute stage. The diagnosis of benign hepatitis is anyway difficult: while other organs "report", whether by cough, headache, runny nose, fever, sensation of burning or diarrhea, fatigue is the only "hepatic symptom". And who is not tired? This can be clarified only by testing liver values ​​in the blood. In otherwise healthy individuals, acute illness does not require drug treatment.

Transmission is through an infected hog or game that has not been sufficiently cooked. The transmission of human to human does not seem to matter. In Germany, transmission through drinking water has never been established.

However, people with limited immune risk, such as organ transplant recipients, or taking medications that reduce defense against infection are at risk. In this group, severe cases of hepatitis can occur, including liver cirrhosis or acute liver failure. Then he must be treated with drugs. As a precaution, those affected should not eat raw meat products such as metteur, sausage or sausage.