Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) (戊型肝炎病毒)

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is a non-enveloped, icosahedral virus with a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome. HEV mainly targets hepatocytes. After entering the body through the oral-fecal route, HEV replicates in the liver. HEV has four genotypes (HEV-1, HEV-2, HEV-3, and HEV-4). HEV-1 and HEV-2 are human-specific genotypes, while HEV-3 and HEV-4 are zoonotic genotypes. In acute infections, HEV can cause symptoms such as jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain. In some cases, especially in pregnant women and immunosuppressed individuals, the infection can be severe and lead to fulminant liver failure or chronic hepatitis^[1][2].