No link between the prevalence of hepatitis E virus infection and the diagnosis of schizophrenia

Excerpt

Infection with the Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) may cause strong inflammation of the liver and represents one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis in the world. Extrahepatic manifestations, such as neurological, hematological, or renal manifestation as well as several autoimmune phenomena have been reported in association with HEV infection [1]. There are only limited data about the association between HEV infection and psychiatric disorders. Few epidemiological studies from Taiwan, China, and Germany, demonstrated high anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence rates in psychiatric patients [2‐5]. However, these studies often lack adequate control cohorts, making it difficult to adequately classify seroprevalence rates. Systematic studies that address the risk of psychiatric patients acquiring HEV infection, or if a previous HEV infection may trigger psychiatric diseases are missing. …