Hepatitis E

Hepatitis E is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation and damage. Inflammation is swelling that occurs when tissues of the body become injured or infected. Inflammation can damage organs. Viruses invade normal cells in your body. Hepatitis E infection usually only causes a short-term illness which will go away by itself in a few weeks. However, while you are infected, it can make you severely ill. Rarely, hepatitis E develops into a very severe disease that is fatal in about 2% of cases. Treatment. There is no specific treatment capable of altering the course of acute hepatitis E. As the disease is usually self-limiting, hospitalization is generally not required. Hospitalization is required for people with fulminant hepatitis, however, and should also be considered for symptomatic pregnant women.