Hepatitis E: Virus, Disease and Vaccine
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1832
Editors
Interests: hepatitis E; liver diseases; treatment
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The story of hepatitis E originated in the late 1970s with my extreme belief that there was a hidden saga in the relationship between jaundice and pregnancy in developing countries and the opportunity for a massive epidemic of viral hepatitis, which hit the Gulmarg Kashmir region in November 1978. Hepatitis E is a global disease caused by infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV). HEV belongs to the family Hepeviridae and exhibits remarkable heterogeneity, comprising two subfamilies, five genera, and ten species, infecting a broad range of animal species. Major animal reservoirs, including pigs, wild boar, rabbits, deer, camels, and rats, have a zoonotic potential. HEV is recognized as one of the most successful zoonotic viral infections in human history, with a high risk of pandemic emergence through zoonotic spillover. Based on a worldwide seroprevalence study, 12.5% of the world’s population, corresponding to 939 million individuals, have previously been exposed to HEV. Amongst these individuals, 15–110 million have current or ongoing infection. The epidemiology of human hepatitis E differs between developing and industrialized countries, primarily in the circulating HEV genotypes (HEV GTs). HEV GT1 and GT2, widespread in Asia and Africa, are transmitted feco-orally via contaminated water supplies and poor sanitation. It causes massive waterborne epidemics with high morbidity and mortality and is the cause of around half of the acute sporadic hepatitis and acute liver failure cases in endemic zones. The disease has a high incidence and severity in pregnant women, and HEV superinfection in patients with cirrhosis sparks episodes of acute-on-chronic liver failure. HEV GT3 and GT4, prevalent in industrialized countries, cause autochthonous infection through the consumption of raw pig liver, sausages, and game meat. Chronic hepatitis E, caused by HEV GT3, leads to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis and occurs in patients with solid organ transplants, HIV, and hematopoietic neoplasms. Based on ORF2 expression and the self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLP) with neutralizing epitope (aa459-606 ORF2 capsid), four hepatitis E vaccines have entered the arena of human experimentation. Of these, HEV vaccine p239 Hecolin®️ (VLP, T=1, 230A, Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd., gt1, aa368-606 ORF2 capsid) is the only vaccine available for clinical use and has undergone extensive studies in China, demonstrating safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy. Vaccine-induced antibodies persist for at least 8.5 years in the majority of participants, suggesting durable long-term protection.
Prof. Dr. Mehnaaz Sultan Khuroo
Prof. Dr. Mohammad S. Khuroo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- hepatitis E
- hepatitis E virus
- acute hepatitis
- acute liver failure
- pregnancy
- acute-on-chronic liver failure
- Hepatitis E vaccine
- solid organ transplants
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
