The aftermath of the earthquakes that hit Nepal in April are not yet over. With the onset of the monsoon, public health experts fear an outbreak of hepatitis E.
For the Nepalese, it is double the penalty. While populations are struggling to recover from the series of earthquakes that struck the region, a second threat appears: that of hepatitis E. In a letter published in the prestigious Lancet, 7 researchers from around the world – including the co-discoverers of the Ebola virus, Peter Piot and Jeremy Farrar – are alerting to the high risk of an epidemic. In question: drinking water soiled by human excreta.
8,800 deaths, 23,000 injured. In Nepal, survivors are struggling to recover from the severe earthquakes in April. Many people still live in camps and in complete poverty. And they have not finished suffering the consequences of this natural disaster. In Haiti, a cholera epidemic followed the earthquake. In Nepal, it is hepatitis E that could be spread.
500 pregnant women could die
The hepatitis E virus can spread through drinking water soiled with droppings. And the monsoon season should not help the situation, according to the authors, who evoke “the perfect storm” of risk factors: a huge displaced population, limited access to clean water, a crying lack of health facilities, the all in a context of high circulation of hepatitis E and populations at risk poorly immunized.
In total, 500 pregnant women could die of complications from hepatitis E in the coming months. It is a particularly high-risk population, since mortality is 25% worldwide.
But it is possible to act, remind the authors of the communication. A vaccine exists, even if it is not recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which calls for more proof of its safety. The researchers call for an exception in this high-risk context: they recommend that the Nepalese authorities order these vaccines and launch a vaccination campaign among at-risk patients.
“Hepatitis E is a neglected and poorly understood virus, but we know that it is probably a major cause of maternal death in the countries where it circulates,” recalls Alain Labrique, co-signatory of this letter. We want to highlight all measures that reduce the risk of avoidable mortality. The stake is real: 400 pregnant women could be saved thanks to the vaccination.
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