J Vet Sci.  2018 Mar;19(2):309-312. 10.4142/jvs.2018.19.2.309.

Detection of hepatitis E virus genotypes 3 and 4 in pig farms in Korea

• Kim YH
• Park BJ
• Ahn HS
• Han SH
• Go HJ
• Kim DH
• Lee JB
• Park SY
• Song CS
• Lee SW
• Choi IS

• KMID: 2407631
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2018.19.2.309

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.

Keyword

feces; hepatitis E virus; swine; zoonosis

MeSH Terms

Agriculture*
Feces
Genotype
Hepatitis E virus*
Hepatitis E*
Hepatitis*
Humans
Korea*
RNA
Sus scrofa
Swine
RNA

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis E virus (HEV) sequences. The 490-bp nucleotide sequences of the HEV open reading frame (ORF) 1 to ORF2 junction obtained from pigs were analyzed along with representative strains of HEV-1, HEV-2, HEV-3, and HEV-4. The five HEV-3a and two HEV-4c strains identified in this study are indicated with closed circles. The scale bar shows the branch length corresponding to 0.02 substitutions per site.

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