Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections appear to be an emerging problem in
Europe. Infections are mainly caused by viruses of genotype 3. Pigs and wild boar are the
main reservoirs of HEV in Europe and most autochthonous infections are probably caused
by the consumption of uncooked or undercooked infected meat. Nevertheless, transfusionassociated
transmission has been described in different European countries but the
efficiency of this route of transmission need to be further investigated. Most acute infections
are asymptomatic or the induced symptoms are rather nonspecific. Although people that
are otherwise completely healthy can spontaneously clear an HEV infection, people with
underlying liver disease and/or suffering from immune deficiencies may require treatment to
avoid chronicity and exacerbation of liver disease. In this review, we give an epidemiological
overview of HEV in Europe and the potential complications.