戊型肝炎是一种经消化道传播的急性传染病、以前曾称为肠道性非甲非乙型肝炎(HNANB)。1983年Balayat等首先在肠道传播的非甲非乙型肝炎病人的粪便里发现了27～39nm类病毒颗粒,而且感染自愿者及猕猴的实验获得成功。1989年9月在东京国际肝炎学术会上将HNANB正式命名为戊型肝炎(HE)。近年国内外学者对HE进行了大量研究,取得很大进展,本文就有关HE的流行病学、动 Hepatitis E is an acute infectious disease transmitted by the digestive tract, formerly known as enteric non-A, non-B hepatitis (HNANB). In 1983, Balayat et al. First found 27-39 nm virus particles in the excrement of intestinal-transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis patients. In addition, experiments with volunteers and macaques were successful. In September 1989, HNANB was officially named Hepatitis E (HE) at the Tokyo International Hepatitis Symposium. In recent years, domestic and foreign scholars have conducted a great deal of research on HE and made great progress. This article is about the epidemiology of HE,