How long is the incubation period before symptoms appear after infection? | Hepatitis E symptoms

How long is the incubation period before symptoms appear after infection?

The incubation period, i.e. the time between infection and the onset of the first symptoms, is between 15 and 50 days for an infection with the hepatitis E virus. However, many infections also proceed without symptoms and those affected do not notice that they have hepatitis E. In such cases, hepatitis E heals spontaneously after a few weeks.

Can the symptoms become chronic?

Normally hepatitis E heals by itself after a few weeks. Most infected persons are free of symptoms and completely healthy again after about one to two months. One speaks of chronic hepatitis if the inflammation persists for several months.

So far, however, no chronic courses of hepatitis E have been observed in people with an intact immune system. Chronification occurs only in immunocompromised patients (e.g. after organ transplantation, patients with HIV, patients requiring dialysis) and can lead to cirrhosis and permanent damage to the liver in severe cases.

All articles in this series:

  1. Hepatitis E symptoms
  2. How long is the incubation period before symptoms appear after infection?