Virus
Hepatitis E virus
Waterborne enteric hepatitis, risk in pregnancy
hep-uh-TY-tis EE VY-rus
High-yield clue
Enterically transmitted hepatitis with high mortality risk in pregnant patients is the core study clue.
Overview
A small non-enveloped positive-sense RNA virus spread mainly by contaminated water that causes acute hepatitis and is studied for its unusually high fatality vocabulary in pregnancy.
Classification
- RNA virus
- Positive-sense single-stranded RNA
- Non-enveloped
- Family Hepeviridae, genus Paslahepevirus
Lab & identification clues
- Anti-HEV IgM serology concept
- RNA detection vocabulary
- Multiple genotype framing (1-4 human)
- Self-limited acute course vocabulary
Associations
- Fecal-oral and waterborne transmission
- Large epidemics in resource-limited settings (genotypes 1/2)
- Zoonotic sporadic cases from pigs/game (genotypes 3/4)
- Severe outcomes in pregnancy epidemiology
Commonly confused with
- Hepatitis A virus
- Hepatitis D virus
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.