Hepatitis e infection
Meaning of hepatitis e infection: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, hepatitis E infection means infection with the hepatitis E virus resulting in an illness characterised by inflammation of the liver, and which is confirmed by laboratory testing for hepatitis E serological or nucleic acid markers.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 39 of 2024
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting hepatitis E infection or death from hepatitis E infection with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)being exposed to the hepatitis E virus by: (a) being in the same living quarters or immediate work environment as a person infected with the hepatitis E virus; (b) consuming water or food contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; (c) having direct contact with human or primate faecal material contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; (d) having direct physical contact with a human or a primate infected with the hepatitis E virus; (e) having percutaneous (intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous or intradermal) exposure to blood or body fluids contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; or (f) receiving a transfusion of blood or blood products contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; where hepatitis E virus exposure occurs between 14 and 70 days before clinical onset;
- (2)having a solid organ transplant (excluding corneal transplant), where the tissue or organ is derived from a person infected with the hepatitis E virus, within the 4 months before clinical onset;
- (3)having a liver, kidney, heart, lung, stem cell or bone marrow transplant before clinical worsening;
- (4)being pregnant at the time of death due to hepatitis E infection or being pregnant at the time of liver transplantation necessitated by hepatitis E infection;
Note: Death due to hepatitis E infection is considered to be a clinical worsening. Liver transplantation necessitated by hepatitis E infection is considered to be a clinical worsening.
- (5)having human immunodeficiency virus infection at the time of clinical worsening;
- (6)having chemotherapy for cancer at the time of clinical worsening;
- (7)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for hepatitis E infection before clinical worsening;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(3) to 9(7) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 40 of 2024
6 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, hepatitis E infection or death from hepatitis E infection is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)being exposed to the hepatitis E virus by: (a) being in the same living quarters or immediate work environment as a person infected with the hepatitis E virus; (b) consuming water or food contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; (c) having direct contact with human or primate faecal material contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; (d) having direct physical contact with a human or a primate infected with the hepatitis E virus; (e) having percutaneous (intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous or intradermal) exposure to blood or body fluids contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; or (f) receiving a transfusion of blood or blood products contaminated with the hepatitis E virus; where hepatitis E virus exposure occurs between 14 and 70 days before clinical onset;
- (2)having a solid organ transplant (excluding corneal transplant), where the tissue or organ is derived from a person infected with the hepatitis E virus, within the 4 months before clinical onset;
- (3)having a liver, kidney, heart, lung, stem cell or bone marrow transplant before clinical worsening;
- (4)being pregnant at the time of death due to hepatitis E infection or being pregnant at the time of liver transplantation necessitated by hepatitis E infection;
Note: Death due to hepatitis E infection is considered to be a clinical worsening. Liver transplantation necessitated by hepatitis E infection is considered to be a clinical worsening.
- (5)having chemotherapy for cancer at the time of clinical worsening;
- (6)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for hepatitis E infection before clinical worsening;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(3) to 9(6) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
