HEPATITIS-E - AN OVERVIEW

Hepatitis E has a worldwide distribution and causes substantial morbid ity and mortality in some developing countries, particularly among pre gnant women. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has recently been cloned and sequ enced and new diagnostic tests have been developed; these tests have b een used to begin to characterize the natural history and epidemiologi c features of HEV infection. Experimental vaccines have also been deve loped that offer the potential to prevent hepatitis E. However, to dev elop effective strategies to prevent this disease, much remains to be learned about HEV, including the vehicles of transmission, the reservo ir(s) of the virus, and the natural history of protective immunity.