Jeong HW, Kim MK, Yi HJ, Kim DM, Jeon SJ, Lee HK, Oh YH, Hwang YO. Hepatitis A virus strains identified in jogaejeot associated with outbreaks in Seoul, South Korea.
Lett Appl Microbiol 2021;
73:107-112. [PMID:
33797771 DOI:
10.1111/lam.13482]
[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: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Jogaejeot, seasoned Venerupis philippinarum, is a traditional Korean fermented food, and hepatitis A virus (HAV) can be transmitted through contaminated food, especially bivalve shellfish, causing acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Here, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis to identify and characterize HAV strains in jogaejeot samples associated with hepatitis A (HA) outbreaks in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019. The HAV strains were identified using blast and molecular analysis of the amplified HAV VP1-P2B genome region. The HAV strains identified in the five jogaejeot samples shared at least 99% sequence identity, were all classified as genotype IA and were most closely related to strains that are widespread in East Asia. These results support a link between the consumption of jogaejeot and the HA outbreaks observed in 2019 in Seoul. In addition, they indicate a need for more stringent enforcement of food safety regulations for the shellfish industry, especially against HAV, and the value of widespread vaccination.
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