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Warning over hepatitis E

Alert: Hepatitis E cases are growing. Illustration: The West Australian

Scientists are warning that hepatitis E is becoming a public health threat in Australia, where historically there have been few infections except those picked up overseas.

Like hepatitis A, hepatitis E is caused by a virus that spreads through poor personal hygiene.

It is often transmitted in contaminated food and drink and results in acute liver disease.

Perth doctors reported in this week's Medical Journal of Australia the rare case of a 48-year-old man, a liver transplant recipient, found to have hepatitis E in 2013, despite not going to countries where the virus is rampant.

They could not determine how he became infected but said it could have been through the donor liver, blood products or contaminated food or water.

The man was born in Australia, worked in a city office, had not gone overseas or been near livestock but regularly ate pork, which overseas has been linked to hepatitis.

PathWest clinical microbiologist David Speers said there was a growing belief that Australians with unexplained hepatitis should be tested for hepatitis E and cases might have been missed in the past.

"It is rare to see hepatitis E domestically acquired in Australia and everyone's always said we'd only test people who had returned from overseas because they're the only risk group," Dr Speers said.

"But everyone's having to review that policy with our case and some reported in NSW over the years not linked to travel."

Research by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service published last month warned that hepatitis E was becoming a global public health threat and the extent of locally acquired infection in Australia was likely to be more than expected.

"There is a need for increased awareness in relation to this emerging virus in countries including Australia," researchers said. "This is required at the level of public health authorities, in clinical settings and with the general public."

It comes as Federal health authorities said the number of cases of hepatitis A linked to Nanna's brand frozen mixed berries had risen to 23 after a new report in Queensland lifted its cases to nine.

NSW has eight, Victoria three and WA, South Australia and the ACT have one each.