Prevalence of chronic hepatitis E infection in immunosuppressed patients in Belgium.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is now considered as the commonest cause of acute viral hepatitis in Western countries, especially genotype 3 and 4. In immunocompromised patients, chronic HEV have been described, leading in certain cases to cirrhosis, decompensation and death or liver transplantation. A recently published study from the UK based on a Markov cohort model suggests that routine screening for HEV in solid organ transplant (SOT) is very likely to be cost-effective, even more in patients with abnormal transaminases. No data are available on the real prevalence and incidence of... Mehr ...