Hepatitis E outbreak in East Nepal An outbreak of hepatitis E due to contaminated water supply has hit East Nepal, mainly the city of Biratnagar with ten persons dead already and more than 1350 patients with the infection. Disease is apparently coming under control now with less number of patients visiting local hospitals (source: Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. Nepal) Hepatitis E is a viral infection of the liver that is acquired by eating and drinking contaminated food and water. To prevent the disease, one needs to be careful with food and water. Foods should be cooked thoroughly and water should be boiled or treated with chlorine before drinking. There is no commercially available vaccine against hepatitis E right now. Early symptoms of hepatitis are: fever, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, lack of appetite and discomfort in the right upper abdomen. Yellow eyes and dark urine then appear. Prevention: Wash hands thoroughly before preparing and eating food, and after going to the toilet. Avoid drinking water (and beverages with ice) of unknown purity, uncooked shellfish, and uncooked fruits or vegetables that are not peeled. Treatment is symptomatic or supportive. Most people with the disease recover completely except that pregnant women have higher risk of complications and death. Pregnant women should avoid visiting areas of hepatitis E outbreak as far as possible.
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 05:29:42 +0000