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Hakze-van der Honing RW, Franz E, van der Poel WH, Coipan CE. Utility of various genome lengths in diversity and evolution analyses of Hepatitis E virus. Virus Res 2024; 347:199429. [PMID: 38960004 PMCID: PMC11296050 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent fragments of the HEV genome could be used for accurate diagnostics and inference of viral population-scale processes. For this, we selected all the published whole genome sequences from the NCBI GenBank and trimmed them to various fragment lengths (ORF1,2,3, ORF1, ORF2, ORF3, 493 nt in ORF2 and 148 nt in ORF2). Each of the fragment lengths was used to infer the richness and diversity of the viral sequence types, typing accuracy, and potential use in phylodynamics. The results obtained from the different fragments were compared. We observed that, generally, the longer the nucleic acid fragment used in typing, the better the accuracy in predicting the viral subtype. However, the dominant HEV subtypes circulating in Europe were relatively well classified even by the 493 nt fragment, with false negative rates as low as 8 in 1000 typed sequences. Most fragments also give comparable results in analyses of population size, albeit with shorter fragments showing a broader 95 % highest posterior density interval and less obvious increase of the viral effective population size. The reconstructed phylogenies of a heterochronous subset indicated a good concordance between all the fragments, with the major clades following similar branching patterns. Furthermore, we have used the HEV sequence data from the Netherlands available in the HEVnet database as a case study for reconstruction of population size changes in the past decades. This data showed that molecular and epidemiological results are concordant and point to an increase in the viral effective population size underlying the observed increase in incidence of acute HEV infection cases. In the absence of whole genome sequencing data, the 493 bp fragment can be used for analyzing HEV strains currently circulating in Europe, as it is informative for describing short term population-scale processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eelco Franz
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Wim H.M. van der Poel
- Wageningen University and Research, Houtribweg 39, 8221 RA, Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - Claudia E. Coipan
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
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2
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Turlewicz-Podbielska H, Augustyniak A, Wojciechowski J, Pomorska-Mól M. Hepatitis E Virus in Livestock-Update on Its Epidemiology and Risk of Infection to Humans. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3239. [PMID: 37893962 PMCID: PMC10603682 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a public health problem worldwide and an important food pathogen known for its zoonotic potential. Increasing numbers of infection cases with human HEV are caused by the zoonotic transmission of genotypes 3 and 4, mainly by consuming contaminated, undercooked or raw porcine meat. Pigs are the main reservoir of HEV. However, it should be noted that other animal species, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and rabbits, may also be a source of infection for humans. Due to the detection of HEV RNA in the milk and tissues of cattle, the consumption of infected uncooked milk and meat or offal from these species also poses a potential risk of zoonotic HEV infections. Poultry infected by avian HEV may also develop symptomatic disease, although avian HEV is not considered a zoonotic pathogen. HEV infection has a worldwide distribution with different prevalence rates depending on the affected animal species, sampling region, or breeding system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Turlewicz-Podbielska
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wolynska 35, 60-637 Poznan, Poland; (H.T.-P.); (A.A.)
| | - Agata Augustyniak
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wolynska 35, 60-637 Poznan, Poland; (H.T.-P.); (A.A.)
| | | | - Małgorzata Pomorska-Mól
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wolynska 35, 60-637 Poznan, Poland; (H.T.-P.); (A.A.)
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Yeo D, Hossain MI, Jung S, Wang Z, Seo Y, Woo S, Park S, Seo DJ, Rhee MS, Choi C. Prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of human enteric emerging viruses in porcine stool samples in the Republic of Korea. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:913622. [PMID: 36246307 PMCID: PMC9563253 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.913622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases (EID) in humans and animals are proving to be a serious health concern. This study investigated the prevalence of emerging or re-emerging human enteric viruses in porcine stools and swabs. Eleven enteric EID viruses were selected as target viruses for the current study and ranked based on their impact on public health and food safety: enterovirus (EV), hepatitis E virus, norovirus GI and GII, sapovirus (SaV), adenovirus (AdV), astrovirus, rotavirus, hepatitis A virus, aichivirus, and bocavirus. Using real-time RT-PCR or real-time PCR, EID viruses were detected in 129 (86.0%) of 150 samples. The most prevalent virus was EV, which was detected in 68.0% of samples, followed by AdV with a detection rate of 38.0%. In following sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, 33.0% (58/176) of the detected viruses were associated with human enteric EID viruses, including AdV-41, coxsackievirus-A2, echovirus-24, and SaV. Our results show that porcine stools frequently contain human enteric viruses, and that few porcine enteric viruses are genetically related to human enteric viruses. These findings suggest that enteric re-emerging or EID viruses could be zoonoses, and that continuous monitoring and further studies are needed to ensure an integrated “One Health” approach that aims to balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daseul Yeo
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
| | - Md. Iqbal Hossain
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
| | - Soontag Jung
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
| | - Zhaoqi Wang
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
| | - Yeeun Seo
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
| | - Seoyoung Woo
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
| | - Sunho Park
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
| | - Dong Joo Seo
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Gwangju University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Min Suk Rhee
- Division of Food Bioscience and Technology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Changsun Choi
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Chung-Ang University, Anseong-si, South Korea
- Bio and Environmental Technology Research Institute, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Changsun Choi
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4
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Cross-Species Transmission of Rabbit Hepatitis E Virus to Pigs and Evaluation of the Protection of a Virus-like Particle Vaccine against Rabbit Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Pigs. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10071053. [PMID: 35891218 PMCID: PMC9320745 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10071053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the cross-species transmission of rabbit hepatitis E virus (rb HEV) to pigs and evaluated the cross-protection of a swine (sw) HEV-3 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine against rb HEV infection in pigs. Twelve 4-week-old conventional pigs were divided into negative control (n = 3), positive control (rb HEV-infected, n = 4), and vaccinated (vaccinated and rb HEV-challenged, n = 5) groups. The vaccine was administered at weeks 0 and 2, and viral challenge was conducted at week 4. Serum HEV RNA, anti-HEV antibody, cytokine, and liver enzyme levels were determined. Histopathological lesions were examined in abdominal organs. Viral RNA was detected and increased anti-HEV antibody and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were observed in positive control pigs; liver fibrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration in the lamina propria of the small intestine and shortened small intestine villi were also observed. In vaccinated pigs, anti-HEV antibody and Th1 cytokine level elevations were observed after the second vaccination; viral RNA was not detected, and ALT level elevations were not observed. The results verified the cross-species transmission of rb HEV to pigs and cross-protection of the sw HEV-3 VLP vaccine against rb HEV infection in pigs. This vaccine may be used for cross-protection against HEV infection in other species.
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Wang Y, Toh X, Ong J, Teo XH, Bay P, Fernandez CJ, Huangfu T. Serological prevalence and molecular characterization of hepatitis E virus in imported pigs in Singapore (2000-2019). Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:286-296. [PMID: 33406320 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E is a significant liver disease caused by infection with hepatitis E virus (HEV). The risk factors for hepatitis E in developed countries include blood transfusion and ingestion of undercooked meat or meat products derived from HEV-infected animals. Since 2000, there has been increased human hepatitis E incidence reported in Singapore. Although the causes of this increase have not been established, several studies have linked zoonotic HEV infections in humans to pork consumption. It is therefore important to closely monitor the presence of HEV in food sources for the prevalence and virulence. In this study, we demonstrated the presence of HEV in pigs imported into Singapore for consumption through serological and molecular investigation of live pig and post-slaughter samples collected between 2000 and 2019. Among imported pigs, anti-HEV antibody prevalence remained at a level around 35% until 2017, with a statistically significant increase in 2018. HEV RNA was detected in 8.40% (34/405) of the faecal samples, indicative of an active infection in the pigs. HEV RNA was also detected in 6.67% (4/60) of liver samples obtained post-slaughter. We also report the development of an RT-PCR-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) method that enabled full sequencing of the HEV genome in HEV RNA-positive samples in a relatively short span of time. Phylogenetic analysis identified the HEV in one of the imported pigs (HEV-S28) as genotype 3a, which clustered together with the human HEV strains previously identified in Singapore. We found that the HEV-S28 strain exhibited amino acid substitutions that are associated with reduced HEV replication efficiency. The increase in anti-HEV seroprevalence in the pig population from 2018 is worth further exploration. We will continue to monitor the prevalent HEV strains and assess the genetic diversity of HEV in the imported pigs to confirm the potential association with human infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- Center for Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Professional and Scientific Services, Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xinyu Toh
- Center for Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Professional and Scientific Services, Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jasmine Ong
- Center for Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Professional and Scientific Services, Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xuan Hui Teo
- Center for Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Professional and Scientific Services, Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Patrick Bay
- Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Charlene Judith Fernandez
- Center for Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Professional and Scientific Services, Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Taoqi Huangfu
- Center for Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Professional and Scientific Services, Animal and Veterinary Service, National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore, Singapore
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Lee HS, Dao DT, Bui VN, Bui NA, Le TD, Nguyen-Viet H, Grace D, Thakur KK, Hagiwara K. Prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis E virus in pigs in Vietnam. BMC Vet Res 2020; 16:333. [PMID: 32928220 PMCID: PMC7489210 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02537-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic disease and has been reported around the world. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the sero-prevalence and phylogenetic analysis of HEV in Vietnam. Pig blood and fecal pooled samples were collected to assess the prevalence of HEV. We assessed the true prevalence (TP) of HEV from apparent prevalence (AP) by taking into account the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests using a Bayesian approach. For phylogenetic analysis, the data compared with worldwide HEV reference strains including all eight genotypes (G1-G8) which were identified in previous study. Results A total of 475 sera and 250 fecal pooled samples were collected at slaughterhouses and pig farms from five provinces, in Viet Nam. Overall, the sero-AP of HEV was 58.53% (95% confidence interval: 53.95–62.70) while the sero-TP was slightly higher (65.43, 95% credible interval: 47.19–84.70). In terms of pooled samples, overall, the RNA-AP was 6.80% (95% confidence interval: 4.01–10.66). One strain in Hanoi, two strains in Dak Lak, seven strains in An Giang, four strains in Son La and two strains in Nghe An were isolated. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that 19 Vietnamese strains were clustered into HEV 3 and 4. Conclusions This study provided evidence that HEV is circulating in domestic pigs in Vietnam. From a public health perspective, it is very important to raise public awareness for high-risk groups (e.g. slaughterhouse workers, pig traders, farmers and market sellers) who have more opportunities to come in contact with pig and contaminated meats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Suk Lee
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia, Room 301-302, B1 Building, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, 298 Kim Ma Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
| | - Duy Tung Dao
- National Institute of Veterinary Research, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | - Ngoc Anh Bui
- National Institute of Veterinary Research, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Thanh Duy Le
- National Institute of Veterinary Research, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hung Nguyen-Viet
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia, Room 301-302, B1 Building, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, 298 Kim Ma Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Delia Grace
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya.,Natural Resources Institute, Chatham, UK
| | - Krishna K Thakur
- Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada
| | - Katsuro Hagiwara
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyodai, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, 069-8501, Japan.
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Janahi EM, Parkar SFD, Mustafa S, Eisa ZM. Implications of Hepatitis E Virus in Blood Transfusions, Hemodialysis, and Solid Organ Transplants. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2020; 56:E206. [PMID: 32344807 PMCID: PMC7279256 DOI: 10.3390/medicina56050206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is emerging as the primary cause of acute viral hepatitis in humans. The virus is commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated water in endemic regions or through the consumption of inadequately cooked swine products or game meats in industrialized regions. HEV genotypes 1 and 2 are predominantly associated with waterborne transmission in developing countries, whereas HEV3 and HEV4 are mainly zoonotically transmitted in industrialized countries. Seroprevalence in populations determined by detecting anti-HEV antibodies and serum HEV RNA is commonly used to analyze the presence of HEV. Although HEV RNA-based detection is now standardized, there is a lack of agreement between the assaying methods used for gathering seroprevalence data. Since 2004, HEV has been considered as a transmissible infectious agent through blood transfusion. Recent seroprevalence studies in European countries indicate an underestimated risk for blood transfusion and hence warrant testing the blood supply. HEV infection is usually self-limiting and spontaneously cleared. However, in about 60% of recipients of solid organ transplants, HEV progresses to chronic hepatitis. Immunosuppressive drugs such as tacrolimus are a major cause of chronic hepatitis and reducing its dosage results in viral clearance in about 30% of patients. In hemodialysis patients, the parenteral route is implicated as an important mechanism of transmission. In this review, we explore the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of various HEV genotypes in blood donors, hemodialysis patients, and transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essam M. Janahi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir 32038, Bahrain; (S.F.D.P.); (S.M.)
| | - Saba F. D. Parkar
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir 32038, Bahrain; (S.F.D.P.); (S.M.)
| | - Sakina Mustafa
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Sakhir 32038, Bahrain; (S.F.D.P.); (S.M.)
| | - Zaki M. Eisa
- The National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Jazan 82722-2476, Saudi Arabia;
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El-Duah P, Dei D, Binger T, Sylverken A, Wollny R, Tasiame W, Oppong S, Adu-Sarkodie Y, Emikpe B, Folitse R, Drexler JF, Phillips R, Drosten C, Corman VM. Detection and genomic characterization of hepatitis E virus genotype 3 from pigs in Ghana, Africa. ONE HEALTH OUTLOOK 2020; 2:10. [PMID: 33829131 PMCID: PMC7993477 DOI: 10.1186/s42522-020-00018-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of human hepatitis worldwide. Zoonotic genotypes of the virus have been found in diverse animal species with pigs playing a major role. Putative risk of zoonotic infection from livestock particularly swine in Sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana is poorly understood due to scarcity of available data, especially HEV sequence information. METHODS Serum samples were collected from cattle, sheep, goats and pigs from Kumasi in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Samples were subjected to nested RT-PCR screening and quantification of HEV RNA-positive samples using real-time RT-PCR and the World Health Organization International Standard for HEV. Testing of all pig samples for antibodies was done by ELISA. Sanger sequencing and genotyping was performed and one representative complete genome was generated to facilitate genome-wide comparison to other available African HEV sequences by phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS A total of 420 samples were available from cattle (n = 105), goats (n = 124), pigs (n = 89) and sheep (n = 102). HEV Viral RNA was detected only in pig samples (10.1%). The antibody detection rate in pigs was 77.5%, with positive samples from all sampling sites. Average viral load was 1 × 105 (range 1.02 × 103 to 3.17 × 105) International Units per mL of serum with no statistically significant differences between age groups (≤ 6 month, > 6 months) by a T-test comparison of means (t = 1.4272, df = 7, p = 0.1966). Sequences obtained in this study form a monophyletic group within HEV genotype 3. Sequences from Cameroon, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Madagascar were found to share a most recent common ancestor; however this was not the case for other African HEV sequences. CONCLUSION HEV genotype 3 is highly endemic in pigs in Ghana and likely poses a zoonotic risk to people exposed to pigs. HEV genotype 3 in Ghana shares a common origin with other virus strains from Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip El-Duah
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Dickson Dei
- Ghana Veterinary Service, Kumasi, Ghana
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Tabea Binger
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Augustina Sylverken
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Robert Wollny
- Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
| | - William Tasiame
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Samuel Oppong
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Yaw Adu-Sarkodie
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Benjamin Emikpe
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Raphael Folitse
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard Phillips
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Christian Drosten
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor Max Corman
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, Berlin, Germany
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Choe S, Song S, Park GN, Shin J, Kim KS, Cha RM, Hyun BH, Park BK, An DJ. Detection of subtypes (3a, 4a and 4d) and high prevalence of hepatitis E virus in Korean wild boar. Vet Microbiol 2019; 240:108531. [PMID: 31902495 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.108531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is known to have 4 genotypes but only one serotype. Genotype 1 and 2 infect humans only and genotype 3 and 4 infect humans, pigs and other animal species. Pig and wild boar are also known as reservoirs of HEV infection. Of the 2736 wild boars captured from 2011 to 2016 to investigate the HEV prevalence among Korean wild boars, 1041 serum samples were high seropositive (38.1%; 95% CI: 35.5-40.5) for HEV, which were detected using the anti-HEV antibody ELISA and the highest prevalence rate was 40.6% (684/1683) in 2016. Twenty four HEV strains were also identified from 1859 wild boar bloods captured between 2015 and 2016. The phylogenetic tree constructed based on the partial ORF2 gene revealed that the 23 Korean wild boar HEV strains belonged to genotype 4 (4a and 4d) showing the nucleotide sequences identities 83.4-100 %. The one Korean wild boar HEV strain belonged to genotype 3, segregated into subgenotype 3a. This suggested that major circulating in Korean wild boars is genotype 4a whereas genotype 3a and -4d is minor. It is important to the human public health that HEV with wild boar have potential high risk factor for transmission to human due to eating culture of Korean people with undercooked wild boar gallbladder.
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Affiliation(s)
- SeEun Choe
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea
| | - Sok Song
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea
| | - Gyu-Nam Park
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea
| | - Jihye Shin
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea
| | - Ki-Sun Kim
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea
| | - Ra Mi Cha
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea
| | - Bang-Hun Hyun
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kyun Park
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea; College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul University, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Dong-Jun An
- Virus Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimchen, Gyeongbuk-do, 39660, South Korea.
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Wilhelm B, Waddell L, Greig J, Young I. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in the general population across non-endemic countries. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216826. [PMID: 31173594 PMCID: PMC6555507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has commonly been associated with large waterborne outbreaks of human jaundice in endemic areas but it has been increasingly recognised as a cause of sporadic human cases of jaundice in non-endemic areas, in individuals with no history of travel. Zoonotic exposure is widely hypothesized to be an important potential transmission route in these sporadic human cases. Serosurveys conducted to determine the frequency of HEV human exposure report wide ranges in prevalence across studies and locations. Our study objective was to compute meta-analysis summary estimates of human seroprevalence of HEV IgG within countries considered HEV non-endemic, where possible, and to determine whether this varied significantly across these countries, as well as investigating the role of potential HEV seroprevalence predictors such as population age structure. MATERIALS AND METHODS A broad literature search was conducted in six electronic databases. Citations were appraised, and relevant data extracted using forms designed and pre-tested a priori. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were conducted in R, with HEV IgG seroprevalence in blood donors or the general population being the outcome of interest, and country, assay, population age and sex structure, and chronological time investigated as predictors of the outcome. RESULTS From 4163 unique citations initially captured, data were extracted from 135 studies investigating HEV serology in blood donors or the general population, of 31 countries among those categorised as 'very high human development' by the United Nations. Country of sampling and assay employed were consistently significant predictors of HEV IgG seroprevalence with chronological time being a non-significant predictor in the dataset of captured studies. CONCLUSIONS While country of sampling and assay employed were significant predictors of HEV seroprevalence, comparison of HEV seroprevalence across non-endemic countries is hampered by the lack of a gold standard assay and uncertainty regarding residual bias across studies, as well as regional differences within some countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa Waddell
- National Microbiology Laboratory at Guelph, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Judy Greig
- National Microbiology Laboratory at Guelph, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ian Young
- School of Occupational and Public Health, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Kim YH, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Han SH, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS. Detection of hepatitis E virus genotypes 3 and 4 in pig farms in Korea. J Vet Sci 2018; 19:309-312. [PMID: 29284214 PMCID: PMC5879080 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2018.19.2.309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 11/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is mostly mediated by HEV-3 and HEV-4 genotypes, and domestic pigs are an important reservoir of these genotypes. A survey of 14 pig farms in Korea revealed HEV RNA in 30 of 148 (20.3%) fecal samples. HEV-3a and HEV-4c subtypes were identified in five pig farms (35.7%) and two pig farms (14.3%), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolated HEV strains were closely related to previously reported zoonotic strains in Korea. The results of the genetic analysis partially explain the possible source of the zoonotic transmission of HEV to humans in Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Hyun Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Hee-Seop Ahn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Sang-Hoon Han
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Hyeon-Jeong Go
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Dong-Hwi Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Joong-Bok Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Seung-Yong Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Chang-Seon Song
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Sang-Won Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - In-Soo Choi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
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12
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Vilanova L, Rigueira L, Perecmanis S. Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus infection in domestic pigs in the Federal District, Brazil. ARQ BRAS MED VET ZOO 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4162-9455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Hepatitis E is caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV) which is currently known to be a zoonotic pathogen transmitted by pigs. In Brazil, there is no information about the circulation of HEV in the swine herd of the Federal District. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was performed with sera from 449 domestic pigs, provided by the Secretary of Agriculture of the Federal District. Blood samples were collected between June and September 2014. A commercially available ELISA kit was used for the detection of IgG antibodies. High seroprevalence of antibodies to HEV was found, since 304 animals showed anti-HEV positive reactions (67.7%; 95% CI = 63.2%, 71.9%). The seropositivity presented no difference by gender or age. The results suggest that HEV circulates among domestic pigs in the Federal District and it can serve as a warning to the local public health system due to their possible involvement in human infections.
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Zhang L, Li K, Huang S, Liu D, Rehman MU, Lan Y, Zhang H, Wang L, Hao Y, Iqbal MK, Mehmood K, Chamba Y, Li J. Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with hepatitis E virus infections among people and pigs in Tibet, China. Acta Trop 2017; 172:102-106. [PMID: 28472617 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV), the causative agent of hepatitis E, is an important public health problem throughout the world. There is little information available on the autochthonous HEV infection in highland inhabitants (Tibet, average elevation >3000m) of China. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional survey to determine the sero-prevalence of Hepatitis E and association of different risk factors in local people and pigs in Tibet, China. For this purpose, serum samples were collected from 600 local volunteers and 453 Tibetan pigs from July 2014 to August 2015. All the samples were examined for the presence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). While socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics were also obtained through questionnaire. The present survey found a close relationship among the HEV of Tibetan people and pigs. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was detected 39.33% (236/600) and 42.38% (192/453) in local people and pigs, respectively. There was a significance association of different age groups, ethnic groups, people having contact with pigs or consuming uncooked meat, and gender of Tibetan pigs. Our findings confirmed the presence of autochthonous HEV among people and pigs in Tibet, China. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to prevent and control HEV infection in Tibet, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Shucheng Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongyu Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Mujeeb Ur Rehman
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfang Lan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanan Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Kashif Iqbal
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China
| | - Khalid Mehmood
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; University College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Yangczom Chamba
- Laboratory of Detection and Monitoring of Highland Animal Disease, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, 860000, Tibet, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiakui Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, People's Republic of China; Laboratory of Detection and Monitoring of Highland Animal Disease, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Linzhi, 860000, Tibet, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Salines M, Andraud M, Rose N. From the epidemiology of hepatitis E virus (HEV) within the swine reservoir to public health risk mitigation strategies: a comprehensive review. Vet Res 2017; 48:31. [PMID: 28545558 PMCID: PMC5445439 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-017-0436-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E in humans, an emerging zoonosis mainly transmitted via food in developed countries and for which domestic pigs are recognised as the main reservoir. It therefore appears important to understand the features and drivers of HEV infection dynamics on pig farms in order to implement HEV surveillance programmes and to assess and manage public health risks. The authors have reviewed the international scientific literature on the epidemiological characteristics of HEV in swine populations. Although prevalence estimates differed greatly from one study to another, all consistently reported high variability between farms, suggesting the existence of multifactorial conditions related to infection and within-farm transmission of the virus. Longitudinal studies and experimental trials have provided estimates of epidemiological parameters governing the transmission process (e.g. age at infection, transmission parameters, shedding period duration or lag time before the onset of an immune response). Farming practices, passive immunity and co-infection with immunosuppressive agents were identified as the main factors influencing HEV infection dynamics, but further investigations are needed to clarify the different HEV infection patterns observed in pig herds as well as HEV transmission between farms. Relevant surveillance programmes and control measures from farm to fork also have to be fostered to reduce the prevalence of contaminated pork products entering the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Salines
- ANSES-Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France. .,Université Bretagne Loire, Rennes, France.
| | - Mathieu Andraud
- ANSES-Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France.,Université Bretagne Loire, Rennes, France
| | - Nicolas Rose
- ANSES-Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France.,Université Bretagne Loire, Rennes, France
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15
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Jeong SH, Park BJ, Kim YH, Choi YS, Ahn HS, Han SH, Choi IS. Isolation of hepatitis E virus genotype 4 from patients with acute cryptogenic hepatitis in Korea. J Clin Virol 2017; 89:10-13. [PMID: 28189935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autochthonous hepatitis E occurs sporadically in developed countries. The consumption of undercooked pork containing hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV-3) or 4 (HEV-4) is the major risk factor for infection. The serological diagnostic kits currently used in hospitals sometimes produce false-negative or -positive results. Therefore, detection of both HEV RNA and antibodies to the virus is required for confirmative diagnosis of hepatitis E. OBJECTIVES We aimed to detect HEV in serum samples from patients with cryptogenic hepatitis and to determine the origin of HEV. STUDY DESIGN A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed for detection of HEV-3 and HEV-4 in patients with hepatitis. A total of 23 serum samples, deposited in 2006-2012, from patients with acute cryptogenic hepatitis who were serologically negative for hepatitis A, B, C, and E were examined using this method. The amplified PCR products were genetically analyzed. RESULTS Four HEV-4 isolates were detected from the 23 serum samples. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that three of the four isolates were closely related to HEV-4 isolates found in pigs in Korea and in patients with hepatitis E in Japan. CONCLUSIONS The newly developed nested PCR method was useful for detection of HEV in patients with cryptogenic hepatitis. The close relationship between the human HEV-4 isolates identified in this study and swine isolates implied that zoonotic transmission of HEV might be a source of infection in patients with hepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sook-Hyang Jeong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13620, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Hyun Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Suk Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13620, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Seop Ahn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hoon Han
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Soo Choi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea.
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16
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Park WJ, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Yoo HS, Choi IS. Hepatitis E virus as an emerging zoonotic pathogen. J Vet Sci 2016; 17:1-11. [PMID: 27051334 PMCID: PMC4808633 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2016.17.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E outbreaks are a serious public health concern in developing countries. The disease causes acute infections, primarily in young adults. The mortality rate is approximately 2%; however, it can exceed 20% in pregnant women in some regions in India. The causative agent, hepatitis E virus (HEV), has been isolated from several animal species, including pigs. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 have been isolated from both humans and animals, and are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. Seroprevalence studies in animals and humans indirectly suggest that HEV infections occur worldwide. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans via undercooked animal meats in developed countries. Moreover, transfusion- and transplantation-mediated HEV infections have recently been reported. This review summarizes the general characteristics of hepatitis E, HEV infection status in animals and humans, the zoonotic transmission modes of HEV, and HEV vaccine development status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo-Jung Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Hee-Seop Ahn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Joong-Bok Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Seung-Yong Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Chang-Seon Song
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Sang-Won Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Han-Sang Yoo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - In-Soo Choi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
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17
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Pérez-Gracia MT, García M, Suay B, Mateos-Lindemann ML. Current Knowledge on Hepatitis E. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2015; 3:117-26. [PMID: 26355220 PMCID: PMC4548356 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2015.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although only a single serotype of hepatitis E virus (HEV), the causative agent of hepatitis E, has been identified, there is great genetic variation among the different HEV isolates reported. There are at least four major recognized genotypes of HEV: genotypes 1 and 2 are mainly restricted to humans and linked to epidemic outbreaks in nonindustrialized countries, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic in both developing and industrialized countries. Besides human strains, genotype 3 and 4 strains of HEV have been genetically characterized from swine, sika deer, mongooses, sheep, and rabbits. Currently, there are approximately 11,000 human and animal sequences of HEV available at the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration. HEV is the major cause of waterborne outbreaks of hepatitis in areas of poor sanitation. Additionally, it is responsible for sporadic cases of viral hepatitis in not only endemic but industrialized countries as well. Transmission of HEV occurs predominantly by the fecal-oral route, although parenteral and perinatal routes have been reported. HEV infection develops in most individuals as a self-limiting, acute, icteric hepatitis; with mortality rates around 1%. However, some affected individuals will develop fulminant hepatic failure, a serious condition that is frequently fatal without a liver transplant. This complication is particularly common when the infection occurs in pregnant women, where mortality rates rise dramatically to up to 25%. Among the preventive measures available to avoid HEV infection, two separate subunit vaccines containing recombinant truncated capsid proteins of HEV have been shown to be highly effective in the prevention of disease. One of them, HEV 239, was approved in China, and its commercialization by Innovax began in November 2012 under the name Hecolin(®).
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Pérez-Gracia
- Área de Microbiología, Departamento de Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence to: María Teresa Pérez‐Gracia, Área de Microbiología, Departamento de Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Avenida Seminario s/n 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain. Tel: +34‐961369000, Fax: +34‐961395272, E‐mail:
| | - Mario García
- Área de Microbiología, Departamento de Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain
| | - Beatriz Suay
- Área de Microbiología, Departamento de Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain
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18
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Gentry-Shields J, Myers K, Pisanic N, Heaney C, Stewart J. Hepatitis E virus and coliphages in waters proximal to swine concentrated animal feeding operations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 505:487-93. [PMID: 25461050 PMCID: PMC4514618 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
North Carolina is the second leading state in pork production in the United States, with over 10 million swine. Swine manure in NC is typically collected and stored in open-pit lagoons before the liquid waste is sprayed onto agricultural fields for disposal. Components of this waste may be able to impact surface water quality with the potential for human exposure. This study examined viruses of public health concern in creeks adjacent to swine concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) spray fields. Surface water samples (n=154) were collected from public access waters in proximity to swine CAFO spray fields for six months and were tested for hepatitis E virus (HEV) and coliphages. HEV was detected in one sample. Somatic coliphages were detected in 98% of samples (geometric mean 24 ± 4.1 PFU per 100 ml), and F+ coliphages were detected in 85% of samples (geometric mean 6.8 ± 5.0 PFU per 100 ml). Only 3% (21) of the F+ coliphage isolates were RNA phage, and all of the F+ RNA coliphages belonged to genogroup I. Although the pervasiveness of swine CAFOs in this area prevented a comparison with samples from un-impacted sites, the near ubiquity of coliphages, as well as the presence of HEV, suggests that current waste management practices may be associated with the dissemination of viruses of public health concern in waters proximal to CAFO spray fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Gentry-Shields
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA.
| | - Kevin Myers
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA.
| | - Nora Pisanic
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Christopher Heaney
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Jill Stewart
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA.
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19
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Kim BS, Lim HS, Lee K, Min YS, Yoon YS, Jeong HS. A survey on the status of hepatitis e virus infection among slaughterhouse workers in South Korea. J Prev Med Public Health 2015; 48:53-61. [PMID: 25652711 PMCID: PMC4322518 DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.14.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among high-risk groups overseas is high, but studies in these groups are rare in South Korea. We conducted the present study from April to November 2012 to obtain data on the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for HEV among slaughterhouse workers in South Korea. Methods: Slaughterhouse workers from 80 workplaces nationwide were surveyed in South Korea in 2012. The subjects comprised 1848 cases: 1434 slaughter workers and 414 residual products handlers. By visiting 80 slaughterhouses, which were mixed with 75 of which also performed residual products handling, we conducted a questionnaire survey for risk factors and obtained blood samples in order to determine the seropositivity and seroprevalence of HEV. Anti-HEV IgG and IgM were measured using HEV IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunospecific assay kits and HEV antigen was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: The seropositivity of anti-HEV IgG was 33.5% (slaughter workers 32.8% and residual products handlers 36.2%), and among the seropositive individuals the seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgM was 0.5% (slaughter workers 0.5%, residual products handlers 0.7%). The response rate of HEV-antigen as measured by RT-PCR was 0.2%. Risk factors significantly related to anti-HEV IgG seropositivity were age, sex , and working duration (slaughter workers only). Conclusions: There were significant risk factors (sex, age, and working duration) for HEV identified in our study. All three positive cases for HEV-antigen by RT-PCR were related to pig slaughter but without statistical significance. To prevent HEV, an educational program and working guidelines may be needed for high risk groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung-Seok Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, Korea
| | - Hyun-Sul Lim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, Korea
| | - Kwan Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, Korea
| | - Young-Sun Min
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, Korea
| | - Young-Sil Yoon
- Division of Vaccine Research, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Hye-Sook Jeong
- Division of Vaccine Research, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju, Korea
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20
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Yoon Y, Jeong HS, Yun H, Lee H, Hwang YS, Park B, Lee CJ, Lee S, Hyeon JY. Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) seroprevalence in the general population of the Republic of Korea in 2007-2009: a nationwide cross-sectional study. BMC Infect Dis 2014; 14:517. [PMID: 25248488 PMCID: PMC4262127 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging pathogen associated with endemic and acute viral hepatitis. In this study, we investigate the HEV seroprevalence and putative risk factors by a nationwide cross-sectional study in the Republic of Korea. Methods The prevalence of anti-HEV antibody was investigated in 2,450 serum samples collected in fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In addition, epidemiological information on possible risk factors including gender, age, education, occupation, and residence location for exposure to HEV was obtained. Results The frequency of anti-EIA reactive sample was 5.9% (144/2450). The individuals in groups with male, older age, low education level and living in rural or coastal regions had high seroprevalence estimates (P ≤ 0.001). In addition, seroprevalence was significantly higher among individuals with self-identified skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers (31.3%, P < 0.001). Conclusions This study provides valuable data that could be used to investigate associations of HEV seroprevalence and putative risk factors by a nationwide cross-sectional study. The high HEV seroprevalence of skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers and individuals lived in coastal and rural area indicated that zoonotic transmission is an important risk factor for HEV infection in the republic of Korea. Further studies that include detailed and continuous nationwide surveys are required to identify unrecognized risk factors and to monitor the HEV infection prevalence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2334-14-517) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ji-Yeon Hyeon
- Division of Vaccine Research, Korea National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong-eup, CheongJu, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-951, Republic of Korea.
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21
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Wang XJ, Zhao Q, Jiang FL, Liu BY, Zhao JN, Dang L, Sun YN, Mu Y, Xiao SQ, Wang CB, Hsu WH, Liu L, Widén F, Zhou EM. Genetic characterization and serological prevalence of swine hepatitis E virus in Shandong province, China. Vet Microbiol 2014; 172:415-24. [PMID: 24975641 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV), the causative agent of hepatitis E, is classified into four major genotypes (1 to 4) and swine is the main natural reservoir for genotypes 3 and 4. In this study, a total of 106 bile samples from a slaughterhouse in the Shandong province of China were tested for the partial ORF2 gene of HEV by RT-nPCR to determine the virus genotypes, and two indirect ELISA were developed for the detection of swine HEV specific IgM and IgG antibodies in 980 serum samples from 24 farms, in order to investigate the seroprevalence. Thirty-two out of 106 (30.2%) bile samples were positive for HEV and a high degree of partial ORF2 sequence similarity (86.8-100%) was observed among 20 samples. The viral sequences belonged to genotype 4, subtypes 4a and 4d. One complete genome sequence of a subtype 4d HEV was further determined and characterized. The seroprevalence of HEV IgG and IgM antibodies was 100% (24/24) and 41.7% (10/24) for herds, and 66.4% (651/980) and 1.6% (16/980) for the individual pigs, respectively. These results suggested a high prevalence of genotype 4 of swine HEV infection both in swine farms and at the slaughterhouse in Shandong province, which further raise public-health concerns for zoonosis and pork safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-jie Wang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, China Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qin Zhao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, China Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Feng-lin Jiang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bao-yuan Liu
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ji-nan Zhao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lu Dang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ya-ni Sun
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, China Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yang Mu
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, China Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shu-qi Xiao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, China Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Cheng-bao Wang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, China Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Walter H Hsu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Lihong Liu
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Frederik Widén
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), 75189 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - En-Min Zhou
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, China Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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Lee WJ, Shin MK, Cha SB, Yoo HS. Development of a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect anti-IgG against swine hepatitis E virus. J Vet Sci 2013; 14:467-72. [PMID: 24421718 PMCID: PMC3885741 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2013.14.4.467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Revised: 02/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) is widespread throughout pigs in both developing and industrialized countries. This virus is an important zoonotic agent and a public concern worldwide. Infected pigs are asymptomatic, so diagnosing swine HEV relies on detection of the virus or antibodies against the virus. However, several obstacles need to be overcome for effective and practical serological diagnosis. In this study, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that used a purified recombinant capsid protein of swine HEV. The potential clinical use of this assay was evaluated by comparing it with a commercial kit (Genelabs Technologies, Diagnostics, Singapore). Results of the ELISA were highly correlated with those of the commercial kit with a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 95%. ROC (receiving operator characteristic) analysis of the ELISA data produced a value of 0.987 (95% CI, 0.977~0.998, p < 0.01). The cut-off value for the ELISA was also determined using negative pig sera. In summary, the HEV-specific ELISA developed in the present study appears to be both practical and economical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Jung Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Min Kyoung Shin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Seung Bin Cha
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
| | - Han Sang Yoo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
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Song YJ, Park WJ, Park BJ, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee NH, Seo KH, Kang YS, Choi IS. Hepatitis E virus infections in humans and animals. Clin Exp Vaccine Res 2013; 3:29-36. [PMID: 24427760 PMCID: PMC3890447 DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2014.3.1.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Revised: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E has traditionally been considered an endemic disease of developing countries. It generally spreads through contaminated water. However, seroprevalence studies have shown that hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are not uncommon in industrialized countries. In addition, the number of autochthonous hepatitis E cases in these countries is increasing. Most HEV infections in developed countries can be traced to the ingestion of contaminated raw or undercooked pork meat or sausages. Several animal species, including pigs, are known reservoirs of HEV that transmit the virus to humans. HEVs are now recognized as an emerging zoonotic agent. In this review, we describe the general characteristics of HEVs isolated from humans and animals, the risk factors for human HEV infection, and the current status of human vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Jo Song
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Woo-Jung Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joong-Bok Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Yong Park
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chang-Seon Song
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nak-Hyung Lee
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kun-Ho Seo
- Department of Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young-Sun Kang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Science, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - In-Soo Choi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea. ; Veterinary Science Research Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
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Lipej Z, Novosel D, Vojta L, Roić B, Šimpraga M, Vojta A. Detection and characterisation of hepatitis E virus in naturally infected swine in Croatia. Acta Vet Hung 2013; 61:517-28. [PMID: 23974940 DOI: 10.1556/avet.2013.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E is a viral zoonotic disease infecting swine worldwide. Since pigs represent a likely animal reservoir for the hepatitis E virus, the epidemiology of naturally occurring hepatitis E was investigated in Croatian swine herds. Nearly all tested animals were seropositive for antibodies against the hepatitis E virus (55/60, 91.7%). Active infection was detected in all age groups by RT-PCR of viral RNA in serum (8/60, 13.3%) and bile samples (3/37, 8.1%), which was further confirmed by histopathological findings of characteristic lesions in the livers of the infected animals. Three new strains of hepatitis E virus were isolated from Croatian pig herds. Phylogenetic analysis using median-joining networks clustered those Croatian strains with isolates from various parts of the world, indicating their likely origin in international trade. Similarity to human isolates implies a zoonotic potential of Croatian strains, which raises a public health concern, especially in the light of the high prevalence of hepatitis E in the herds studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoran Lipej
- 1 Croatian Veterinary Institute Zagreb Croatia
| | | | - Lea Vojta
- 2 Ruđer Bošković Institute Zagreb Croatia
| | - Besi Roić
- 1 Croatian Veterinary Institute Zagreb Croatia
| | - Miljenko Šimpraga
- 3 University of Zagreb Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Heinzelova 55 Zagreb Croatia
| | - Aleksandar Vojta
- 3 University of Zagreb Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Heinzelova 55 Zagreb Croatia
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Zaki MES, Aal AAE, Badawy A, El- Deeb DR, El-Kheir NYA. Clinicolaboratory study of mother-to-neonate transmission of hepatitis E virus in Egypt. Am J Clin Pathol 2013; 140:721-6. [PMID: 24124153 DOI: 10.1309/ajcpt55tdmjnpllv] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To study the presence of hepatitis E viremia in neonates with congenital infections. METHODS We included 29 neonates with clinical signs and symptoms suggesting congenital infections, along with their mothers. The control group comprised 29 healthy neonates and their mothers. Laboratory evaluations were performed for each sample for liver function profiles and virological studies for hepatitis viruses B, C, and E. RESULTS The most common viral markers in mothers were for hepatitis C immunoglobulin G (IgG) (41%), followed by hepatitis B surface antigen (34%) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) IgG (31%). The most common presentations in neonates were respiratory distress syndrome, followed by preterm birth and signs of sepsis (both 41%) and hepatosplenomegaly (13%). CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the occurrence of HEV infection among other etiological conditions causing congenital infections. Vertical transmission from mothers was common in our patients. Although HEV ran a milder course, more studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amena Abd El Aal
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Badawy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt
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26
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Machnowska P, Ellerbroek L, Johne R. Detection and characterization of potentially zoonotic viruses in faeces of pigs at slaughter in Germany. Vet Microbiol 2013; 168:60-8. [PMID: 24247020 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Pigs can harbour a variety of viruses in their gastrointestinal tract. Some of them are closely related to human viruses and are therefore suspected to have a zoonotic potential. Only little is known about the presence of those viruses in pigs at slaughter. However, by contamination of meat with zoonotic viruses during the slaughtering process, food-borne transmission to humans may be possible. Here we analyzed 120 faecal samples of pigs at slaughter from 3 different geographical regions of Germany for the presence of astrovirus (AstV), encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), norovirus genogroup II (NoV GII) and group A rotavirus (GARV). Using real-time RT-PCR, the most frequently detected virus was AstV, which was present in 20.8% of the samples, followed by NoV GII with a detection rate of 14.2%. EMCV, HEV and GARV were found only occasionally with detection rates of 4.2%, 2.5% and 0.8%, respectively. Analyses of partial genome sequences of the viruses indicated that the detected AstV and NoV GII mainly represented typical pig virus strains, which have not been detected in humans so far. However, the GARV and HEV strains were more closely related to human strains. The results indicate that enteric viruses, some of them with zoonotic potential, are present in pig faeces at slaughter. Application of good hygiene practice is necessary to minimize the risk of introducing these viruses into the food and to prevent virus transmission to highly exposed persons such as slaughterers and veterinarians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Machnowska
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lüppo Ellerbroek
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany
| | - Reimar Johne
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Biological Safety, 12277 Berlin, Germany.
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Sotoodeh Jahromi A, Pourahmad M. Hepatitis E virus and serum level aminotransferases in blood donors. Rep Biochem Mol Biol 2013; 2:48-51. [PMID: 26989720 PMCID: PMC4757067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a self-limiting viral infection that can lead to severe complications and death. In different regions the epidemiology of this infection varies. In this study we evaluated the seroepidemiology of hepatitis E infection in Jahrom, a city in southern Iran. METHODS This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of serum samples from 477 subjects, including 30 females and 447 males. HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels were also determined. Four hundred forty-seven subjects were male and 30 were female. Subjects were classified by age and sex. RESULTS One woman (3.3%) and 25 men (5.5%) were positive for HEV antibodies (IgG and/or IgM). There was found an association between serum level of aminotransferases and seropositivity for HEV. CONCLUSION The result of this study indicates that HEV is an etiological factor for hepatitis in this area of IRAN. The cost benefit of active immunization in endemic regions should be evaluated because an outbreak could have tragic consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdolreza Sotoodeh Jahromi
- Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- Department of Immunology, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Morteza Pourahmad
- Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- Department of Internal Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
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Hinjoy S, Nelson KE, Gibbons RV, Jarman RG, Chinnawirotpisan P, Fernandez S, Tablerk P, Labrique AB, Patchanee P. A cross-sectional study of hepatitis E virus infection in pigs in different-sized farms in northern Thailand. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2013; 10:698-704. [PMID: 23789726 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2012.1369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pigs are an important reservoir of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in many countries throughout the world. We evaluated the association between farm size and presence of serum antibodies against HEV, as well as other risk factors for infection in pigs raised in Nan Province, Thailand in a cross-sectional study. The sampling frame was a total-population census of all pig herds, stratified into three classes of the farm size according to criteria developed by the Nan provincial livestock health office. One-eighth of all pigs in each farm were sampled randomly. All pig-farm owners were interviewed to elicit information on general characteristics of their farms, biosecurity and hygienic procedures, and farm management. We obtained sera and fecal samples from 879 pigs to test for antibodies to HEV and HEV RNA. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for risk factors for HEV seroprevalence were estimated by multivariate logistic regression. The overall prevalence of anti-HEV immunoglobulin G antibodies was 9.9%. Pigs studied from medium-sized farms had a higher HEV seroprevalence than those from larger farms (adjusted OR 4.95, 95% CI: 1.79, 13.70). Factors associated with HEV seropositivity included feeding pigs with agro-industrial byproducts, having veterinarians on farms, and presence of other pig farms within 100 m. Twenty-five (2.9%) of 875 sampled pig stools were positive for HEV RNA. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all HEV isolates clustered to HEV genotype 3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soawapak Hinjoy
- Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
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Cheng Y, Du L, Shi Q, Jiao H, Zhang X, Hao Y, Rong H, Zhang J, Jia X, Guo S, Kuang W, Zhang H, Chen C, Wang F. Identification of miR-221 and -222 as important regulators in genotype IV swine hepatitis E virus ORF3-expressing HEK 293 cells. Virus Genes 2013; 47:49-55. [PMID: 23579640 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-013-0912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has emerged as an important cause of epidemic and sporadic acute viral hepatitis worldwide, which is a major public health challenge. A better understanding of the interaction between the virus and the host cell would be very helpful for its therapy. Swine HEV (SHEV) open reading frame 3 (ORF3) is a regulatory protein that alters the activity of selected transcription factors and cytoplasmic signaling pathways. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potent post-transcriptional regulators of protein-coding genes and represent an interesting lead to study SHEV infection and to identify new therapeutic targets. To explore how SHEV ORF3 affects miRNAs in host cells, we used miRNA array analysis to compare the expression patterns of miRNAs in stable cell lines that expressed or did not express SHEV ORF3. We found a significant down-regulation of miR-221 and -222 in ORF3 expressing human embryonic kidney 293 cell line. Among the 116 candidate targets genes of miR-221 and -222 that we detected in silico, we demonstrated that the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B, also named p27(kip1), was directly regulated by these miRNAs. We hypothesize that SHEV ORF3-induced miR-221/222 downregulation enhances p27(kip1) expression in HEK293 cells. This provides new avenues for future exploration of the precise roles of miRNAs in SHEV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cheng
- College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction & Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Haidian Island, Haikou 570228, People's Republic of China
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Park HK, Jeong SH, Kim JW, Woo BH, Lee DH, Kim HY, Ahn S. Seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) in a Korean population: comparison of two commercial anti-HEV assays. BMC Infect Dis 2012; 12:142. [PMID: 22726615 PMCID: PMC3447697 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-12-142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Accepted: 06/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has emerged as an important cause of epidemic and sporadic acute viral hepatitis worldwide. This study investigated the seroprevalence of anti-HEV in a Korean population and compared the performance of two commercially available anti-HEV assays. Methods A total 147 health-check examinees were randomly sampled as matched to the age- and sex- adjusted standard population based on the Korean National Census of 2007. Serum immunoglobulin G anti-HEV was determined by using the Genelabs assay (Genelabs, Singapore) and the Wantai assay (Wantai, Beijing, China). Results The overall anti-HEV seroprevalence was 23.1% (95% CI, 16.1-30.1%) using the Wantai assay and 14.3% (95% CI, 8.3-20.3%) using the Genelabs assay. Only 12 samples (8.1%) were positive for anti-HEV as measured by both assays; agreement between the two assays was poor (kappa value of 0.315). The anti-HEV seroprevalence increased with age from 2% and 3% in the people younger than 20-years-of-age to 34.6% and 42.3% in those over 59-years-of-age by the Genelabs and Wantai assay, respectively. Conclusions The HEV seroprevalence in Korean population is about 20% overall, with seroprevalence increasing in this population with increasing age. There was poor concordance in the results of the Genelabs and Wantai assays, which warrants further study concerning a reliable diagnostic test for the diagnosis of hepatitis E.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Kyung Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gumi-dong 300, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
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Development of an optimized method for the recovery of infectious F-RNA coliphage MS2 from meat. J Virol Methods 2012; 185:69-73. [PMID: 22705082 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2012.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Revised: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
F-RNA coliphages, part of the gut flora and likely to be deposited on meat along with other enteric organisms during carcass dressing and processing, may be regarded as an indicator and/or surrogate for potential zoonotic enteric viruses. There is no recommended sampling method for viruses on meats and there is a lack of information on the attachment of enteric viruses or F-RNA coliphages to gauze swabs, cellulose sponges and muscle and fat tissue. The objective of this work was to optimize the recovery of MS2 from muscle and fat tissue of meat by comparing phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 10% beef extract pH 7.2, and tryptose phosphate (2.9%) glycine (6%) broth pH 9.5 as eluants. The sampling techniques of excision, swabbing with gauze or cellulose sponges were compared with homogenizing the inoculated entire muscle or fat surface area. The recovery of MS2 from cellulose sponges using beef extract was significantly higher (P=0.001) than tryptose phosphate glycine broth which was significantly higher (P=0.0001) than PBS. There was no significant difference in the recovery between tryptose phosphate glycine broth and beef extract (P=0.92) and there was no significant difference between PBS and beef extract (P=0.10) when MS2 was recovered from gauze. No significant differences were observed between the different eluants with muscle tissue (P=0.91). When MS2 was recovered from muscle tissue with beef extract significant differences were observed (P=0.002); the sampling techniques of homogenizing the entire sample (56%) was equal to excision (43%) (P=0.23) and swabbing with a cellulose sponge (38%) (P=0.06) which were significantly higher than swabbing with gauze (28%), a second grouping of means indicated that homogenizing the entire sample was significantly higher than the other three sampling techniques. When MS2 was recovered from fat, significant differences were observed (P=0.000); homogenizing the entire sample (78%) was equal to excision (74%), which were significantly higher than swabbing with gauze (49%) or cellulose sponge (29%). The recovery of MS2 from meat is affected by the sampling technique. When choosing a nondestructive sampling method such as a cellulose sponge, a higher recovery can be obtained with beef extract as an eluant.
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Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging pathogen associated with acute viral hepatitis, and HEV is becoming increasingly recognized. Approximately 2% of acute viral hepatitis is caused by HEV, and 18 cases of hepatitis E have been reported in Korea. Of these cases, only two have involved a history of travel from India, which suggests that they were imported cases. The remaining reported cases include a sporadic case of acute hepatitis E with genotype 4 HEV isolates and identification of the full genome sequence, as well as another case of genotype 4 HEV hepatitis that developed after ingestion of the raw bile juice of a wild bear living on a mountain in southern Korea. Moreover, genotype 3 HEV, which shows close genetic homology with swine HEV in Korea, has been detected in collected human serum samples. Therefore, genotypes 3 and 4 HEV are currently circulating in the Korean community and may be related to zoonotic transmission and food-borne infection. The reported anti-HEV seroprevalence of 17% to 27% in the Korean population suggests that HEV infection has been autochthonously circulating, thereby resulting in subclinical infection in Korea. Given the discrepancies among anti-HEV assays, the diagnosis of hepatitis E should be made with caution using adequate antibody assays, and HEV RNA should be preferably detected from the stool. Further virological characterization and epidemiological study of the virus are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sook-Hyang Jeong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea
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Widespread distribution of hepatitis E virus in Spanish pig herds. BMC Res Notes 2011; 4:412. [PMID: 21999141 PMCID: PMC3208309 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 10/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a serious health problem in developing countries and is also increasingly reported in industrialized regions. HEV is considered a zoonotic agent and strains isolated from swine and human sources are genetically similar. Thus, HEV is of increasing importance to both public and animal health. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of HEV in a large population of pigs from herds located in different autonomous regions throughout Spain. Results The presence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies was analyzed in 1141 swine serum samples (corresponding to 381 pigs younger than 6 months and 760 pigs older than 6 months) collected from 85 herds. Herds were located in 6 provinces in 4 autonomous regions throughout Spain. At least one pig tested positive for anti-HEV IgG in over 80% of herds. Of individual pigs, 20.4% (233/1141) were positive for anti-HEV IgG, with the prevalence being higher in adult pigs than in those under 6 months (30.2% vs. 15.5%). A subset of serum samples taken at 2- to 5-week intervals showed that seroprevalence dropped between 3 and 11 weeks of age, and then rose significantly by the 15th week. Pigs were also examined for the presence of HEV-RNA by RT-PCR. Of pigs tested for the presence of HEV-RNA 18.8% (64/341) were positive, with at least one pig in almost half of the herds testing positive. HEV-RNA amplicons from several positive pigs were sequenced and all were of genotype 3. Conclusions HEV was found to be widely distributed among swine farms across Spain, with the prevalence being highest among animals older than 6 months. These results indicate that HEV infection either is or is likely to become endemic in the Spanish swine population.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The vast majority of patients who are referred to a specialist hepatological centre suffer from acute deterioration of their chronic liver disease. Yet, this entity of acute on chronic liver failure remains poorly defined. AIM The aim of the present study was to highlight the occurrence of hepatitis E viraemia by nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in patients with acute on chronic liver failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 100 patients with acute on chronic liver disorders admitted to Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt. Blood samples were obtained from patients and sera were separated. Sera were subjected to a study of viral hepatitis markers for hepatitis A by IgM, for hepatitis B by S antigen and core IgM and for hepatitis C virus by IgG and RT-PCR for HCV. Liver function tests were evaluated including alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and bilirubin total and direct by an autoanalyser. Study for hepatitis E virus (HEV) was performed using a molecular technique. Nested RT-PCR was performed for each serum sample. RESULTS HEV RNA was detected in the sera of 13 patients (13%) of the patients with chronic liver disorders. The majority of the positive cases were among patients with cirrhosis (29.9%) followed by patients with HCC (15.4%). On multirisk analysis for the factors associated with the presence of HEV viraemia, younger age < 45 years and lower albumin level < 3.5 g/dl were significantly (P = 0.04, P = 0.03) associated with HEV viraemia. DISCUSSION From this study it appears that HEV viraemia is a common cause of acute on chronic liver disorders in Egypt. CONCLUSION There is no effective vaccine is available against HEV, mass awareness and preventive measures are important to the related.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maysaa El Sayed Zaki
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
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Feng R, Zhao C, Li M, Harrison TJ, Qiao Z, Feng Y, Ma Z, Wang Y. Infection dynamics of hepatitis E virus in naturally infected pigs in a Chinese farrow-to-finish farm. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2011; 11:1727-31. [PMID: 21784172 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2011] [Revised: 07/05/2011] [Accepted: 07/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
To analyze the changes that occur in pigs during hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, 256 serial serum samples were obtained from 32 pigs from one pig farm at ages 0 (cord blood), 15, 30, 60, 75, 90, 120, and 150 days. All HEV markers were assayed in these samples and showed that total anti-HEV antibodies and IgG formed two peaks. The first peak occurred at 0-60 days and the second after 75 days. No markers of infection, such as HEV RNA, antigen and anti-HEV IgM, were detectable during the first peak. Most newborn piglets (< 24 h of age) were negative for total anti-HEV and IgG. However, colostrum from all of the sows had evidence of these antibodies. Thus, the anti-HEV in the first peak was assumed to be acquired from maternal milk. Some infectious markers were positive at the beginning of second peak. PCR products were cloned and sequenced and the results indicated those sequences belonged to HEV genotype 4. The antibody present during the second peak may be induced by natural infection with HEV. In conclusion, pigs are susceptible to HEV infection and may remain infectious after the first peak of anti-HEV antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofei Feng
- Animal Cell Engineering & Technology Research Center of Gansu, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou 730030, China
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Liu T, Lei M, Jiao H, Du L, Cheng Y, Zhang D, Hao Y, Man C, Wang F. RNA interference induces effective inhibition of mRNA accumulation and protein expression of SHEV ORF3 gene in vitro. Curr Microbiol 2011; 62:1355-62. [PMID: 21225263 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-010-9863-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2010] [Accepted: 12/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) provides a powerful promising approach to inhibit viral infection specifically. To explore the possibility of using RNAi as a strategy against HEV infection, which is a serious public health problem in developing countries of Asia, Middle East, Africa, and in Mexico, after the fusion protein expression plasmids pEGFP-ORF3 which contain the EGFP reporter gene and SHEV ORF3 as silencing target, were constructed; EGFP-ORF3 fusion protein expressing HEK 293 cell lines were established; and four siRNAs targeting ORF3 gene were designed, synthesized, and used to transfect the stable cell lines. At 24, 48, and 72 h after transfection, flow cytometry, real-time quantitative PCR, and Western blot were used to assess the expression level of ORF3. The results demonstrated that specific siRNAs which are sequence dependant effectively inhibited mRNA accumulation and protein expression of SHEV ORF3 in HEK 293 cells. These findings provide useful information for the development of RNAi-based prophylaxis and therapy for SHEV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liu
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction & Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research (Construction Period), Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haidian Island, Haikou 570228, People's Republic of China
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To discuss recent advances in characterising viral Hepatitis E (HEV) in nonendemic regions, with a special focus on epidemiology in high-income countries, different clinical aspects of the disease, possible zoonotic origin of these cases and the improvement of Hepatitis E diagnosis. RECENT FINDINGS In high-income countries, most cases of Hepatitis E are acquired locally and not imported from endemic regions. Different genotypes are involved in indigenous cases than those in endemic regions. Particular population groups, such as transplant recipients, can be persistently infected by hepatitis E and develop chronic diseases. Viral hepatitis E is frequently observed in people in animal care occupations. Indeed, HEV has a large animal reservoir and this emerging disease in developed countries has probably a zoonotic origin. SUMMARY Recent studies on viral Hepatitis E have shown that the epidemiology of the disease differs between endemic and nonendemic regions. Several lines of evidence suggest that Hepatitis E is more frequent than was suspected and that it has a possible animal origin. Particular attention must be paid to the possible chronic evolution of various forms of the disease. Surveillance of human cases and animal reservoirs must be developed further.
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The complete genome sequence and molecular analysis of human hepatitis E virus genotype IV identified from a Korean patient. Arch Virol 2010; 155:1003-8. [PMID: 20390311 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-010-0661-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2009] [Accepted: 03/15/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) was originally identified as the etiological agent of non-HAV enterically transmitted hepatitis. One HEV strain (FJ763142) was identified from an acute viral hepatitis E patient with IgM anti-HEV in Korea. The complete genome sequence consisted of 7,238 nucleotides (nt) plus a 22-nt poly(A) tail. The strain belongs to genotype IV, with 91% homology compared with AB197674, which was found in a Japanese patient who had traveled to China. This finding suggests that HEV genotype IV already circulates in Korea, and this HEV might be the first example of an indigenous strain.
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Song YJ, Jeong HJ, Kim YJ, Lee SW, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Park HM, Choi IS. Analysis of complete genome sequences of swine hepatitis E virus and possible risk factors for transmission of HEV to humans in Korea. J Med Virol 2010; 82:583-91. [PMID: 20166181 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.21730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic agent, for which pigs are the most important reservoir. Complete genome sequences of two swine HEV strains, designated swKOR-1 and swKOR-2, were determined via RT-PCR and RACE-PCR. The strains contained genomes composed of 7,222- and 7,221-bp excluding the poly(A) tails, respectively. The swKOR-1 and swKOR-2 strains were classified into subtype 3a of genotype 3 via phylogenetic analysis. These strains formed a distinctive cluster in the phylogenetic tree with human and swine HEVs isolated in the USA and human HEVs isolated in Japan. Anti-HEV antibodies were identified via ELISA in 8 of 99 (8.1%) cats, whereas, among 115 cattle and 213 dogs, no HEV-specific antibodies were detected. The conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of HEV could be detected via RT-PCR in 8.7% of raw oysters collected from coastal regions in Korea. The HEV RNAs detected in oysters were identified as belonging to subtype 3a. The HEV RNAs in oysters most closely resembled that of the swKOR-2 strain. They also showed a close genetic relationship with the swKOR-1 strain and the swine and human HEVs isolated in the USA. This is the first report describing the detection in oysters of HEV that may have originated from genotype 3 swine HEV in Korea. Pigs and cats infected with HEV, as well as oysters contaminated with HEV, are potential risk factors for HEV transmission to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Jo Song
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
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Seroprevalence and distribution of hepatitis E virus in various ethnic groups in Gansu province, China. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2010; 10:614-9. [PMID: 20398803 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2010.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2009] [Revised: 04/06/2010] [Accepted: 04/06/2010] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Gansu province is located in northwestern China and is home to 45 ethnic groups including Han, Hui, Zang and others. Different ethnic groups have varying involvement with livestock and meat consumption, especially pork. To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection and the distribution of HEV genotypes among the major ethnic groups in Gansu province, 2090 serum samples were collected from individuals from four regions and three ethnic groups, the Han, Hui and Zang. All serum samples were tested for anti-HEV IgG and IgM antibodies, as well as HEV antigen, and selected samples were then tested for HEV RNA. The data showed that the seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgG in the Hui, Han and Zang ethnic groups from the four regions was 8.9%, 18.7% and 32.9%, respectively, and these differed significantly (P<0.05). The seroprevalence of anti-HEV antibody for each ethnic group varied among the different regions. In general, within the same region, the three ethnic groups also show differences. Genomic analysis indicated that HEV isolated from humans belonged to genotype 4, and resembled closely swine HEV isolates from Gansu province. The seroprevalence of anti-HEV antibodies was in accordance with the amount of contact with pigs in the different regions. Pigs are the primary host for HEV, so people in frequent contact with pigs may be at risk of zoonotic infection. However, populations that have rare contact with pigs are more likely to be susceptible to HEV when exposed, suggesting that should be the target of vaccination.
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Analysis of the helicase gene of Korean swine hepatitis E virus isolates and trends in viral infection. Arch Virol 2009; 154:1361-4. [DOI: 10.1007/s00705-009-0447-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2009] [Accepted: 06/24/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Billam P, LeRoith T, Pudupakam RS, Pierson FW, Duncan RB, Meng XJ. Comparative pathogenesis in specific-pathogen-free chickens of two strains of avian hepatitis E virus recovered from a chicken with Hepatitis-Splenomegaly syndrome and from a clinically healthy chicken. Vet Microbiol 2009; 139:253-61. [PMID: 19570623 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2009] [Revised: 05/22/2009] [Accepted: 06/03/2009] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Avian hepatitis E virus (avian HEV) is the primary causative agent of Hepatitis-Splenomegaly (HS) syndrome in chickens. Recently, a genetically unique strain of avian HEV, designated avian HEV-VA, was recovered from healthy chickens in Virginia. The objective of this study was to experimentally compare the pathogenicity of the prototype strain recovered from a chicken with HS syndrome and the avian HEV-VA strain in specific-pathogen-free chickens. An infectious stock of the avian HEV-VA strain was first generated and its infectivity titer determined in chickens. For the comparative pathogenesis study, 54 chickens of 6-week-old were assigned to 3 groups of 18 chickens each. The group 1 chickens were each intravenously inoculated with 5x10(2.5) 50% chicken infectious dose of the prototype strain. The group 2 received the same dose of the avian HEV-VA strain, and the group 3 served as negative controls. Six chickens from each group were necropsied at 2, 3 and 4 weeks post-inoculation (wpi). Most chickens in both inoculated groups seroconverted by 3wpi, and the mean anti-avian HEV antibody titers were higher for the prototype strain group than the avian HEV-VA strain group. There was no significant difference in the patterns of viremia and fecal virus shedding. Blood analyte profiles did not differ between treatment groups except for serum creatine phosphokinase levels which were higher for prototype avian HEV group than avian HEV-VA group. The hepatic lesion score was higher for the prototype strain group than the other two groups. The results indicated that the avian HEV-VA strain is only slightly attenuated compared to the prototype strain, suggesting that the full spectrum of HS syndrome is likely associated with other co-factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Billam
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0913, United States
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Zaki MES, Foud MF, Mohamed AF. Value of hepatitis E virus detection by cell culture compared with nested PCR and serological studies by IgM and IgG. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 56:73-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2009.00552.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Kim SE, Kim MY, Kim DG, Song YJ, Jeong HJ, Lee SW, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Oh SJ, Yoo HS, Choi IS. Determination of fecal shedding rates and genotypes of swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Korea. J Vet Med Sci 2009; 70:1367-71. [PMID: 19122408 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.70.1367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection induces an acute hepatitis or a subclinical disease in humans. It is known that HEV is a zoonotic agent and pigs are major reservoirs of HEV. This study was conducted to determine the fecal shedding rates of HEV in various age groups of pigs and identify the genotypes of swine HEV prevailing in Korea. A total of 565 fecal samples were collected from suckling piglets, post-weaning pigs, growing pigs, and sows at 12 swine farms. RT-PCR was used to detect the presence of swine HEV in the feces. Every swine farm examined in this study had HEV-infected pigs. The fecal shedding rates of the swine HEV at individual farms were in the range of 2.1-35.4%. The overall fecal shedding rate of HEV in individual pigs was 17.5%. The HEV shedding rates of suckling piglets, post-weaning pigs, growing pigs and sows in their feces were 6.3, 16.3, 38.0 and 9.3%, respectively. When the genotypes of swine HEVs identified in this study were determined, they were all grouped into genotype 3. They were further subdivided into subtype 3a together with human and swine HEVs isolated in the U.S.A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Eun Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
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Siripanyaphinyo U, Laohasinnarong D, Siripanee J, Kaeoket K, Kameoka M, Ikuta K, Sawanpanyalert P. Full-length sequence of genotype 3 hepatitis E virus derived from a pig in Thailand. J Med Virol 2009; 81:657-64. [PMID: 19235846 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.21428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in pigs was investigated in two principal swine farming areas in Thailand. Anti-HEV antibodies and HEV RNA in sera were examined in 258 pigs reared on five commercial farms from age 1 to 6.5 months and sows. Overall, 167 of 258 (64.7%) pigs were positive for anti-HEV IgG, while 20 of 258 (7.75%) had detectable HEV RNA. Sequence analysis of 20 HEV isolates obtained from viremic pigs revealed that they were 92.3-100% identical to each other and had 82.2-88.2% nucleotide similarity to other reported genotype 3 isolates in 415 nucleotide sequences within ORF2 region. Further characterization by sequencing the complete genome of the Thai swine HEV isolate (named Thai-swHEV07) and phylogenetic analysis showed that Thai-swHEV07 segregated into a cluster consisting of swine isolates from Japan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan within the HEV genotype 3. The Thai-swHEV07 had a genomic length of 7,229 nt excluding the polyadenylated region at 3' terminus of the genome. Comparison of Thai-swHEV07 and 27 reported strains of genotype 3 revealed 80.4-85.9% nucleotide identity, with the highest identity of 85.9% to the novel swHEV strain from Mongolia. These findings suggest that genotype 3 HEV isolates are markedly heterogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uamporn Siripanyaphinyo
- Thailand-Japan Research Collaboration Center on Emerging and Re-emerging Infections (RCC-ERI)
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Ward P, Poitras E, Leblanc D, Letellier A, Brassard J, Plante D, Houde A. Comparative analysis of different TaqMan real-time RT-PCR assays for the detection of swine Hepatitis E virus and integration of Feline calicivirus as internal control. J Appl Microbiol 2009; 106:1360-9. [PMID: 19187137 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.04104.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to compare the performance of four TaqMan RT-PCR assays with a commonly used nested RT-PCR and to include the Feline calicivirus (FCV) as an internal control. METHODS AND RESULTS RNA extracted from 87 swine faecal samples and 103 swine blood samples was subjected to different detection systems. Faecal samples naturally contaminated with Hepatitis E virus (HEV) and negative samples were artificially inoculated with 3.2 x 10(3) PFU of FCV. Detection results obtained on faecal and plasma samples were 35.6% and 4.9% with the nested RT-PCR assay, 8.0% and 0%, 0% and 0%, 13.8% and 0% and 36.8% and 3.9% with TaqMan systems A, B, C and D respectively. The Ct means obtained with the multiplex TaqMan assay were 30.11 and 30.43 for the detection of FCV with HEV contaminated samples and negative samples. CONCLUSIONS The TaqMan system D was more suitable for the detection of swine HEV strains than the three others and FCV was integrated successfully as an internal control. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY FCV was demonstrated as an efficient control to monitor the RNA extraction process and HEV amplification procedure in a multiplex HEV/FCV TaqMan assay. This control would be helpful in limiting false negative results.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Ward
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Food Research and Development Centre, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
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Ji Y, Zhu Y, Liang J, Wei X, Yang X, Wang L, Li L, Chang Y, Tang R, Zhuang H. Swine hepatitis E virus in rural southern China: genetic characterization and experimental infection in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). J Gastroenterol 2008; 43:565-70. [PMID: 18648744 DOI: 10.1007/s00535-008-2196-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2008] [Accepted: 03/24/2008] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In rural areas of southern China, where hepatitis E is endemic, residents generally rear pigs in pigsties near their houses. The study was conducted to assess the possibility that hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in this region are acquired primarily through contact with swine. METHODS One hundred twenty swine fecal samples collected from pigsties located in eight rural communities of southern China were tested for HEV RNA. The swine HEV isolates were analyzed genetically and were experimentally inoculated into rhesus monkeys to determine the potential risk of cross-species infection. RESULTS Twenty-nine of the 120 swine fecal samples were positive for HEV RNA. The nucleotide sequences of these swine HEV strains shared 85%-99% identities with the local human genotype 4 isolates and belonged to two subgroups of genotype 4. Importantly, swine HEV strains representing both subgroups induced hepatitis in rhesus monkeys by inoculation with the virus, evidenced by elevated serum alanine transaminase (ALT), viremia, fecal viral shedding, anti-HEV seroconversion, and liver histopathological changes. CONCLUSIONS Swine may be the principal reservoir for human HEV infection in rural southern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Ji
- Department of Microbiology, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xuanyuan Road, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China
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Serological and molecular evidence of hepatitis E virus in swine in Brazil. Vet J 2008; 182:474-80. [PMID: 18805029 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2007] [Revised: 07/08/2008] [Accepted: 08/09/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Active hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in two Brazilian swine herds were investigated. In study 1, 26 piglets born to five anti-HEV positive sows were monitored from birth to post-partum week 22. Serum samples were screened for the detection of anti-HEV antibodies and a nested RT-PCR used to examine the HEV genome. Passive transfer of immunity was confirmed. At week 22, 23/26 (88.4%) of the piglets had seroconverted. Genome amplification was achieved in a feces pool from one holding pen and in one serum sample, both from 13-week-old animals. Histology was suggestive of a potential HEV infection. In the second study, 47 piglets born to six anti-HEV-positive sows were monitored after weaning. Seroconversion was determined in eight animals at 6-8 weeks of age. HEV RNA was detected in two pools from a holding pen for 12-16-week-old animals. Brazilian isolates were classified as genotype 3. This is the first molecular evidence of HEV infection in Brazilian pig herds.
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Kase JA, Correa MT, Luna C, Sobsey MD. Isolation, detection and characterization of swine hepatitis E virus from herds in Costa Rica. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2008; 18:165-176. [PMID: 18569145 DOI: 10.1080/09603120701498311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Although swine HEV isolates from North America, Europe, and Asia have been genetically characterized, little is known about the strains presumed to be circulating in Latin America. In this study, seven commercial swine production sites in Costa Rica were surveyed for HEV. Using RT-PCR, with primers located in ORF2, 19/52 fecal samples produced a product of the expected size following two rounds of amplification. Most positive samples were from swine between the ages of 1.5 and 4 months. This study provides documented evidence for the endemicity of HE infections in swine residing in Central America. Through nucleic acid sequencing, isolates were found to be genetically similar, if not identical, with no amino acid substitutions. By comparison of swine and human HEV strains representing all four genotypes and phylogenetic analysis, our isolates closely resembled the US swine and human and other Genotype III strains, with 85-93% nucleic acid identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Kase
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, the School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
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