An international team of virologists, mammalian ecologists and zoologists has uncovered the evolutionary origins of the hepatitis E virus. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group analyzed genomic data for multiple viral hosts.

The hepatitis E virus affects the liver. But infected liver cells secrete a viral protein that reacts with antibodies in the blood and may form complexes that can damage the filter structure of the kidneys, as researchers from the University of Zurich and the University Hospital Zurich have proven for the first time.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of your liver in reaction to certain substances and can affect how well your liver functions. There are different types of hepatitis, each with different causes, with viral hepatitis being the most common. Viral hepatitis is caused by several different viruses A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis A and hepatitis E spread through contact with food or water contaminated by fecal matter. You can also get hepatitis E by eating undercooked pork, deer, or shellfish. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D spread through contact with the blood of someone who has the disease. Hepatitis B and D can also spread through contact with other body fluids, such as sharing needles or having unprotected sex. Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by heavy alcohol use. Toxic hepatitis can be caused by certain poisons, chemicals, medicines, or supplements. Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic type in which your body's immune system attacks your liver. Some people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and don’t know they are infected. If you do have symptoms, they may include, - Fever - Fatigue - Loss of appetite - Nausea and/or vomiting - Abdominal pain - Dark urine - Clay-colored bowel movements - Joint pain - Jaundice, yellowing of your skin and eyes