Re: Veterinary researchers discover first U.S. strains of hepatitis E virus from rabbits
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Volume 17, Number 11?November 2011
Dispatch
Hepatitis E Virus in Rabbits, Virginia, USA
Caitlin M. Cossaboom, Laura C?rdoba, Barbara A. Dryman, and Xiang-Jin Meng
Author affiliations: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
Abstract
We identified hepatitis E virus (HEV) in rabbits in Virginia, USA. HEV RNA was detected in 14 (16%) of 85 serum samples and 13 (15%) of 85 fecal samples. Antibodies against HEV were detected in 31 (36%) of 85 serum samples. Sequence analyses showed that HEV from rabbits is closely related to genotype 3.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV), the causative agent of hepatitis E, is a major human pathogen and a public health concern in many developing countries. Sporadic cases of acute hepatitis E have also been reported in many industrialized countries, including the United States (1). In addition to humans, strains of HEV have also been genetically identified from other animal species, including pigs, chickens, rats, mongooses, and deer (2). A unique strain of HEV was recently identified from farmed rabbits in the People?s Republic of China (3,4), although its prevalence in other regions is unknown.
At least 4 major genotypes of HEV that infect mammals have been identified (5). Genotypes 1 and 2 are restricted to humans, and genotypes 3 and 4 have an expanded host range and are capable of causing zoonotic disease (6?10). Avian HEV from chickens likely represents a new genus within the family Hepeviridae (1,2). More recently, additional putative new genotypes of HEV were identified in rats in Germany (11) and wild boars in Japan (12). The objectives of this study were to determine if farmed rabbits in the United States are infected by HEV, and if so, to genetically identify these viruses from rabbits in the United States.
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http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/17/11/11-0428_article.htm
