Acute Hepatitis E During Pregnancy

Women with HEV-associated acute hepatitis during late pregnancy had poor maternal and fetal outcomes.

Acute hepatitis caused by infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV) occurs sporadically or in epidemics in the developing world; in the U.S., HEV infection is relatively uncommon. HEV is transmitted primarily through fecally contaminated drinking water. Previous reports suggested that the disease can have severe complications in pregnant women. In this study, investigators evaluated pregnant women presenting with hepatitis during the second or third trimester at a tertiary-care hospital in India; maternal and fetal outcomes were analyzed among 132 women with laboratory-documented acute hepatitis E and among 88 women with other types of infectious hepatitis.

HEV-infected women had a 2.7-fold higher rate of fulminant hepatic failure and a 6-f…

Reviewing Author

Anna Wald, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAicuris; Bayer; GSK; Innovative Molecules; Merck; MAPP Biopharmaceutical (Safety Monitoring Committee)

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; GSK; Moderna; Assembly Biomedical; Aicuris

Editorial BoardsSexually Transmitted Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Infections; Journal of Infectious Diseases

Leadership PositionsID Division Chiefs Community of Practice (At-Large Member)