INTRAFAMILIAR OUTBREAK OF HEPATITIS-E IN ITALY

Hepatitis E virus is the major aetiological cause of enterically trans mitted non-A, non-B hepatitis. Recurrent outbreaks of hepatitis E have been reported in several developing countries where infection is main ly transmited through fecal contamination of water supplies. Recently sporadic cases of acute hepatitis have been reported in USA and Europe among travellers to endemic areas. The aim of the present study was t o define the aetiological role of HEV in two cases of enterically tran smitted non-A, non-B hepatitis which occurred in sisters of Somalian o rigin. Child 1 (3 years old) showed anti-HEV antibody of both IgC and IgM class at the hospitalization which occurred two days after her ret urn from Somalia. Anti-HEV of IgM class became negative four weeks lat er; while Ige antibody remained persistently positive after recovery ( up to 10 weeks). The secondo child (5 years old) developed acute hepat itis 7 weeks Inter the first case. Similary, anti-HEV of IgM class dis appeared after 3 weeks together with ALT normalization, while antibody of IgG class was still present after 21 weeks of follow-lip. Anti-HEV was not detectable in the sera collected from the father and from ano ther sister of these two cases.