Liver sausage, salami or Hackepeter liver disease after the Mettbrötchen

Liverwurst, salami, Mettbrötchen: The research of the SWR science magazine "odysso" are clear: Such raw sausages can cause a serious liver inflammation, in which apparently more and more people are seriously ill. The consumer protection organization "Foodwatch" beats an alarm.

These are foods that are consumed in bulk and every day in Germany: liver sausage, salami, Mettbrötchen: According to research by the SWR science magazine "odysso", raw sausages can trigger serious liver inflammation, which affects more and more people. The virus is transmitted by eating pork or game meat. The consumer protection organization Foodwatch raises the alarm. To be seen in "odysso", on Thursday, 12th May, 10 pm on SWR television.

A single Mettbrötchen can cause severe liver disease. Image: Andre Bonn - fotolia

Health hazards due to raw sausages and Mett
Every fifth sausage contains genetic material from hepatitis E viruses. This is the conclusion of an investigation by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Although well-heated sausages are not a danger, raw sausages and Mett are already, according to the BfR. Hepatitis E subtype 3 (HEV subtype 3) is a relatively unknown, reportable viral disease transmitted by pigs. Out of 100 carcasses, about three are acutely infected. The Robert Koch Institute registers a sharp increase in cases in recent years, with more than 1,500 illnesses in 2015. The consumer protection organization Foodwatch is now calling for decisive countermeasures from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the SWR science magazine "odysso".

In the worst case, fatal liver failure
Above all, risk groups such as cancer patients and transplant patients are affected. For them, hepatitis E infection is anything but harmless. The disease can, in the worst case, lead to fatal liver failure. People with intact immune systems either remain symptom-free or fail to notice the disease because the symptoms are attributed to other mild illnesses.

What is Hepatitis E?
While experts for a long time assumed that the hepatitis E cases in Germany are due to virus introductions from Africa and Asia, it is known today that the infection with the pathogen has mostly occurred in this country. "However, the transmission does not take place fecally-orally via contaminated drinking water, but via the consumption of contaminated pork and game meat," explains Faber.

In the European area, however, other genotypes of the virus are represented, which are usually transmitted from animal to human. In Africa and Asia, however, the infection usually takes place from person to person. According to the RKI, the majority of hepatitis E infections registered in Europe are therefore not imported. "Only strict hygiene really helps," emphasizes Faber. Meat should therefore only be eaten when it is completely cooked through. After contact with animals, it is advisable to wash your hands thoroughly. These measures significantly reduce the risk of infection.

The hepatitis E virus was first discovered in 1983 by a Russian scientist. Several years later, other researchers attributed a wave of epidemics in India, which caused 30,000 illnesses in 1955, to hepatitis E. According to Faber, this led to the conclusion that this is not a newly occurring disease.

The liver suffers unnoticed for a long time
"If clearer symptoms such as jaundice, severe pain in the upper abdomen, vomiting and great fatigue occur, 90 percent of the liver cells are already damaged," says Professor Ulrike Protzer, director of the Institute of Virology at the Technical University of Munich. "Early detection is therefore extremely important." (Sb)