| [ Summary ] |
Non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis includes hepatitis E virus (HEV), hepatitis D virus (HDV, a.k.a hepatitis delta virus) as well as others. This category of hepatitis accounts for one quarter of all acute viral hepatitis in Japan. It has recently been revealed that HEV is indigenous to industrialized countries, including Japan, as well as in unindustrialized countries, where high HEV endemicity has been well documented. Another new insight in HEV research is that this pathogen is responsible for zoonotic transmission. In the past few years, remarkable progresses have been made in HEV research, especially in Japan. Although HDV is rare in Japan, it must be taken into account if a discrepancy between HBV DNA proliferation and inflammation of the liver is experienced in HBV carriers. TTV, GBV-C / HGV, and SENV are the ones which were reported as “candidates for hepatitis viruses” when they were discovered, but many lines of evidence are not supportive for this scenario. |