[A case of acute hepatitis E with the travel history to an endemic area]

Hepatitis E is a self-limited and enterically transmitted acute viral hepatitis that occurs from epidemic outbreaks of developing countries and sporadic hepatitis in non-endemic areas. In endemic areas, hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis and hepatic failure in pregnancy. Its mortality rate has been reported up to 20%. In non-endemic areas, HEV infection without any travel history is very rare. In Korea, only one case of simple hepatitis E without any travel history to endemic areas was reported. Recently, we experienced a case of acute hepatitis. The patient who had a travel history to India, showed watery diarrhea and high fever. Transaminase level and total bilirubin were increased, and prothrombin time was prolonged. It was positive for IgM anti-HEV and IgG anti-HEV, and showed no evidence of other viral infections or drug ingestion history. In spite of absence of useful test such as seroconversion of IgM anti-HEV and HEV RNA PCR, we diagnosed the case as an acute hepatitis E from his symptom, travel history and initial serologic marker. We report this as a case of hepatitis E infected from endemic areas.