Epidemiological characteristics and clinical features of sporadic viral hepatitis E (HEV).

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and clinical features of sporadic viral hepatitis E.

METHODS: The 1,000 cases of sporadic viral hepatitis E patients treated in 20 hospitals from May 2013 to May 2016 were selected as research subjects, with their clinical data retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS: (1) Epidemiological characteristics: Seen from the disease time, the 1,000 patients have morbidity throughout the year, but morbidity in hot and rainy summer is significantly higher than other seasons, there exists statistically difference in comparison between the groups (P<0.05); sporadic viral hepatitis E has no family aggregation; male morbidity is greater than female. In the study, there were male 782 cases, 218 female cases, with male/female ratio at 3.6: 1; morbidity was 13.7% (137/1000) for patients under 18, 62.9% (629/1000) for patients aged 18-60, 23.4% (234/1000) for patients over 60; there were 692 cases of simplex hepatitis E (simplex infection), 308 cases of hepatitis E complicated with chronic liver disease (super infection), of which, complicated viral hepatitis B took up the majority. (2) Clinical features: In the early stage, patients had symptoms of fever, stuffy nose, sore throat; 784 (78.4%) patients had jaundice during illness; 527 (52.7%) patients had loss of appetite, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms; ALT, AST of patients with hepatitis E plus posthepatitic cirrhosis were significantly lower than patients with simplex infection (all P<0.01); total bilirubin in patients over 60 was significantly higher than that of young and middle-aged patients, statistical difference in statistical analysis was (P <0.05); in the study, 274(27.4%) patients had complications, complication probability of patients aged over 60 was higher than young and middle-aged patients, difference comparison was statistically significant (P<0.05); complication probability of super infected patients was higher than those with simplex infection (P<0.01). All the patients underwent liver protection, jaundice removal and other symptomatic treatments, achieving good treatment effect: 315 cases were cured, 678 cases had improved condition, 7 cases died.

CONCLUSION: There exists obvious correlation between morbidity of sporadic viral hepatitis E and season, gender and age; once sicken, one needs to take early symptomatic treatment, to avoid more severe damage to liver function.