Overview:

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a worldwide disease. An improved understanding of the natural history of HEV infection has been achieved within the last decade. It is an underdiagnosed disease HEV infection is usually an acute self-limiting disease, but causes chronic infection with rapidly progressive cirrhosis in adult and pediatric organ-transplant-patients. HEV can also cause extra-hepatic manifestations, such as neurological symptoms and kidney injury. Reducing immunosuppression in transplant-patients can lead to HEV clearance in one-third of patients with chronic hepatitis. The use of anti-viral therapy such as pegylated-interferon and ribavirin, have been found to be efficient at treating HEV infection.

Biography:

Nassim Kamar (MD, PhD) is a Professor of Nephrology. He is in charge of the organ Transplant Unit at the Department of Nephrology and Organ Transplantation, Toulouse University Hospital, France. He is a Member of the Council of the International Transplant Infectious Disease Society. His particular interests are viral infection, particularly hepatitis E virus, hepatitis C virus, and cytomegalovirus infections that develop after solid organ transplantation, as well as immunosuppressive therapy in heart, liver, kidney, and kidney-pancreas transplant patients.