Incidence and Natural History of Hepatitis E Virus in Pregnant Bangladeshi Women

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is the main cause of acute viral hepatitis in the world, resulting in substantial maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, primarily in South Asia. This prospective, population-based research will determine the disease burden and consequences of infection, and study the immunopathogenesis of HEV in 10,000 pregnant women and their newborn infants in South Asia. This will establish the foundation for population-level interventions (eg. vaccines) to improve maternal and infant survival in resource-poor settings.