Intrafamilial hepatitis E in France.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a small, non-enveloped RNA irus, is a causative agent of acute hepatitis that is transmited principally via the fecal–oral route. The virus can cause pidemic hepatitis in developing countries and sporadic outreaks in non-endemic areas. In endemic areas, hepatitis E ccurs predominantly in young adults. However, the main oncern is for pregnant women who are subject to a high fatalty rate of up to 15–20% (Buti et al., 2004). In non-endemic reas, HEV infection in patients without any travel history is xceptional. Traditionally, North America and Europe have een considered as non-endemic regions with a seroprevaence of anti-HEV antibodies among blood donors around –5% (Mansuy et al., 2004). In these geographic areas, the ajority of HEV infections were thought to be imported. owever, in the last few years, some HEV strains associated ith sporadic acute hepatitis have been isolated from human erum samples in North America, European countries (Italy, reece, Spain, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, France) nd East Asia (Japan), without history of travel to endemic egions. Molecular analyses revealed that these strains idenified from non-endemic countries were close to genotype 3, nitially identified from a patient living in the United States Pina et al., 2000; Zanetti et al., 1999). We report a familial history of acute HEV diagnosed in estern France. No evidence of other viral infections or