Rat Hepatitis E Virus Linked to Severe Acute Hepatitis in an Immunocompetent Patient

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major public health concern in developing countries where the primary transmission is via contaminated water. Zoonotic HEV cases have been increasingly described in Europe, Japan, and the United States, with pigs representing the main animal reservoir of infection. We re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2019-08, Vol.220 (6), p.951-955
Main Authors: Andonov, Anton, Robbins, Mark, Borlang, Jamie, Cao, Jingxin, Hatchette, Todd, Stueck, Ashley, Deschambault, Yvon, Murnaghan, Kyle, Varga, Jessy, Johnston, Lynn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Developing countries
Genome, Viral
Hepatitis
Hepatitis Antibodies - blood
Hepatitis E - immunology
Hepatitis E - transmission
Hepatitis E - veterinary
Hepatitis E - virology
Hepatitis E virus - classification
Hepatitis E virus - genetics
Hepatitis E virus - immunology
Hepatitis E virus - isolation & purification
Humans
Immunocompetence
Immunoglobulin G - blood
Infections
LDCs
Liver - pathology
Male
Middle Aged
Phylogeny
Public health
Rats
Zoonoses
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Summary:Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major public health concern in developing countries where the primary transmission is via contaminated water. Zoonotic HEV cases have been increasingly described in Europe, Japan, and the United States, with pigs representing the main animal reservoir of infection. We report an unusual acute hepatitis infection in a previously healthy man caused by a rat HEV with a considerably divergent genomic sequence compared with other rat HEV strains. It is possible that rat HEV is an underrecognized cause of hepatitis infection, and further studies are necessary to elucidate its potential risk and mode of transmission.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/jiz025