scholarly journals Autochthonous and Travel Acquired Hepatitis E Virus in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacinta O’Keefe ◽  
Lilly Tracy ◽  
Lilly Yuen ◽  
Sara Bonanzinga ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Oral Route ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Genotype 4 ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Overseas Travel

BackgroundHepatitis E virus (HEV) is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in pregnant women. There are four major genotypes which can cause disease in humans. Genotypes 1 and 2 are usually associated with outbreaks and spread via facal/oral route or contaminated water. Genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic and usually associated with handling of pigs or consumption of contaminated pork. The strains circulating in Australia have never been characterized.Rationale/AimsThe aims for this project are to identify the HEV genotypes found in Australia and link them to possible sources of transmission by phylogenetic analysis.Materials and MethodsBetween 2015 and 2020, 91 HEV isolates were sequenced and genotyped using an in-house PCR. Sixty-six of these were also sequenced by using the international HEVnet primers. Genotypes were determined using the BLASTn program. Relatedness to other strains in Australia was determined by phylogenetic analyses of the HEVnet sequences. Isolates were also stratified by state of origin, gender, age, predisposing factors and travel history (if known).ResultsOf the 91 HEV isolates sequenced, 55 (60.4%) were genotype 1. There were 34 (37.4%) genotype 3 strains and two genotype 4 (2.2%). At least 20 of the genotype 1 strains have been linked to travel in India, and another three with Pakistan. Five of the “Indian” strains were closely related and are suspected to have originated in Gujarat. Phylogenetic analysis also showed that 12 genotype 3 strains were genetically related and potentially acquired in/from New South Wales, Australia. The two genotype 4 strains may have originated in China.DiscussionThis is the first study to describe the HEV isolates identified in Australia. The results infer that HEV may be acquired during overseas travel as well as locally, presumably from consumption of pork or pork-related products. The phylogenetic analyses also reveal clusters of infection originating from India and Pakistan. This study provides some insight into the source and epidemiology of HEV infection in Australia which may be used to guide public health procedure and enable the implementation of measures to deal with potential outbreaks of infection.

scholarly journals Acute hepatitis caused by a novel strain of hepatitis E virus most closely related to United States strains

2001 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 1687-1693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamina Kabrane-Lazizi ◽  
Mingdong Zhang ◽  
Robert H. Purcell ◽  
Kirk D. Miller ◽  
Richard T. Davey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Acute Hepatitis ◽  
Sequence Comparison ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Aetiological Agent ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
The Us

A unique hepatitis E virus (HEV) strain was identified as the aetiological agent of acute hepatitis in a United States (US) patient who had recently returned from vacation in Thailand, a country in which HEV is endemic. Sequence comparison showed that this HEV strain was most similar, but not identical, to the swine and human HEV strains recovered in the US. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this new HEV isolate was closer to genotype 3 strains than to the genotype 1 strains common in Asia. The fact that this HEV was closely related to strains recovered in countries where HEV is not endemic and was highly divergent from Asian HEV strains raises the questions of where the patient’s infection was acquired and of whether strains are geographically as localized as once thought.

scholarly journals Endemic hepatitis E in two Nordic countries

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Norder ◽  
L Sundqvist ◽  
L Magnusson ◽  
S Østergaard Breum ◽  
M Löfdahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
High Similarity ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Domestic Pigs ◽  
Travel Abroad

Antibodies against hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) were found in 248 Swedish and Danish patients between 1993 and 2007. Most patients were symptomatic and tested for anti-HEV due to travel abroad. Among patients with known country of infection, most were infected in Asia, mainly on the Indian subcontinent. However, 29 patients were infected in Europe, nine of these had HEV IgM and/or HEV RNA in serum. In sera from 65 of 141 tested patients HEV RNA could be detected, and 63 strains could be typed by limited sequencing within ORF2. HEV RNA was found in sera from 71% of the patients with HEV IgM and IgG and in 18% of the patients with only detectable HEV IgG. It was also found up to three weeks after the onset of disease in 67% of the patients with known date of onset. Patients infected in Europe were infected by genotype 3, and were older than those infected by genotype 1 (mean age 55.3 vs 30 years, p<0.001). Since it is known that genotype 3 can infect domestic pigs, HEV strains from 18 piglets in 17 herds in Sweden and Denmark were sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of the genotype 3 strains showed geographical clades and high similarity between strains from patients and pigs from the same area. There are thus autochthonous hepatitis E cases in Scandinavia, and there are probably many undiagnosed ones. Patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology should therefore be investigated for anti-HEV even if they have not been outside Europe, since infections acquired from pigs or other animals should be taken into consideration.

scholarly journals Advances in Hepatitis E Virus Biology and Pathogenesis

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Shaoli Lin ◽  
Yan-Jin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Rapid Progression ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Zoonotic Infections

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the causative agents for liver inflammation across the world. HEV is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. Human HEV strains mainly belong to four major genotypes in the genus Orthohepevirus A, family Hepeviridae. Among the four genotypes, genotype 1 and 2 are obligate human pathogens, and genotype 3 and 4 cause zoonotic infections. HEV infection with genotype 1 and 2 mainly presents as acute and self-limiting hepatitis in young adults. However, HEV infection of pregnant women with genotype 1 strains can be exacerbated to fulminant hepatitis, resulting in a high rate of case fatality. As pregnant women maintain the balance of maternal-fetal tolerance and effective immunity against invading pathogens, HEV infection with genotype 1 might dysregulate the balance and cause the adverse outcome. Furthermore, HEV infection with genotype 3 can be chronic in immunocompromised patients, with rapid progression, which has been a challenge since it was reported years ago. The virus has a complex interaction with the host cells in downregulating antiviral factors and recruiting elements to generate a conducive environment of replication. The virus-cell interactions at an early stage might determine the consequence of the infection. In this review, advances in HEV virology, viral life cycle, viral interference with the immune response, and the pathogenesis in pregnant women are discussed, and perspectives on these aspects are presented.

scholarly journals Hepatitis E Virus Occurrence in Pigs Slaughtered in Italy

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 277
Author(s):  
Eleonora Chelli ◽  
Elisabetta Suffredini ◽  
Paola De Santis ◽  
Dario De Medici ◽  
Santina Di Bella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
High Seroprevalence ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Sporadic Cases ◽  
Wild Boar Meat ◽  
Small Clusters ◽  
Frequent Exposure

In Europe, foodborne transmission has been clearly associated to sporadic cases and small clusters of hepatitis E in humans linked to the consumption of contaminated pig liver sausages, raw venison, or undercooked wild boar meat. In Europe, zoonotic HEV-genotype 3 strains are widespread in pig farms but little information is available on the prevalence of HEV positive pigs at slaughterhouse. In the present study, the prevalence of HEV-RNA positive pigs was assessed on 585 animals from 4 abattoirs located across Italy. Twenty-one pigs (3.6%) tested positive for HEV in either feces or liver by real-time RT-PCR. In these 21 pigs, eight diaphragm muscles resulted positive for HEV-RNA. Among animals collected in one abattoir, 4 out of 91 plasma tested positive for HEV-RNA. ELISA tests for the detection of total antibodies against HEV showed a high seroprevalence (76.8%), confirming the frequent exposure of pigs to the virus. The phylogenetic analyses conducted on sequences of both ORF1 and ORF2 fragments, shows the circulation of HEV-3c and of a novel unclassified subtype. This study provides information on HEV occurrence in pigs at the slaughterhouse, confirming that muscles are rarely contaminated by HEV-RNA compared to liver, which is the most frequently positive for HEV.

scholarly journals Molecular tracing of Japan-indigenous hepatitis E viruses

2006 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 949-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhito Tanaka ◽  
Kazuaki Takahashi ◽  
Etsuro Orito ◽  
Yoshiyasu Karino ◽  
Jong-Hon Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Nucleotide Substitutions ◽  
Genotype 4 ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Evolutionary Growth ◽  
Rna Polymerase Gene

The ancestor(s) of apparently Japan-indigenous strains of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) was probably of foreign origin, but it remains unclear when and from where it made inroads. In this study, 24 genotype 3 and 24 genotype 4 HEV strains recovered in Japan each showed a significant cluster, clearly distinct from those of foreign strains, in the phylogenetic tree constructed from an 821 nt RNA polymerase gene fragment. The evolutionary rate, approximately 0·8×10−3 nucleotide substitutions per site per year, enabled tracing of the demographic history of HEV and suggested that the ancestors of Japan-indigenous HEV had made inroads around 1900, when several kinds of Yorkshire pig were imported from the UK to Japan. Interestingly, the evolutionary growth of genotype 3 in Japan has been slow since the 1920s, whereas genotype 4 has spread rapidly since the 1980s. In conclusion, these data suggest that the indigenization and spread of HEV in Japan were associated with the popularization of eating pork.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Molecular Approach for Characterization of Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 Variants

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Dominik Harms ◽  
C. Patrick Papp ◽  
Sandra Niendorf ◽  
Sonja Jacobsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Molecular Approach ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Virus Genotype ◽  
Pcr Targeting

ABSTRACT Autochthonous hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV-3) infections in industrialized countries are more frequent than previously assumed. HEV-3 is zoonotic and the causal pathogen of chronic hepatitis E. According to the latest classification of the family Hepeviridae , 10 designated HEV-3 subtypes (HEV-3a to HEV-3j) and 7 unassigned HEV-3 subtypes are proposed. In order to identify and characterize the HEV-3 variants in circulation, we developed a molecular approach combining a sensitive HEV-specific real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) targeting the overlapping region of HEV ORF2 and ORF3 (the ORF2/3 region) and two newly designed consensus nested RT-PCRs targeting the HEV ORF1 and ORF2 genes, respectively. Since complete genome sequences are required for new HEV-3 subtype assignment, we implemented a straightforward approach for full-length HEV-3 genome amplification. Twenty-nine human serum samples and six human feces samples from chronic hepatitis E patients were selected for evaluation of the system. Viral loads ranged from 1 × 10 4 to 1.9 × 10 10 copies/ml of serum and from 1.8 × 10 4 to 1 × 10 12 copies/g of feces. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of partial ORF1 and ORF2 sequences showed that HEV strains had considerable genetic diversity and clustered into the HEV-3c (29/35), HEV-3e (2/35), HEV-3f (2/35), and unassigned HEV-3 (2/35) subtypes. Moreover, from these strains, three full-length HEV-3 genome sequences were generated and characterized. DE/15-0030 represents a typical HEV-3c strain (95.7% nucleotide identity to wbGER27), while DE/15-0031 and SW/16-0282 have <89.2% homology to known HEV-3 strains and are phylogenetically divergent, indicating novel HEV-3 subtypes. In summary, our approach will significantly facilitate the detection, quantification, and determination of HEV-3 strains and will thus help to improve molecular diagnostics and our knowledge of HEV diversity and evolution.

scholarly journals Hepatitis E virus infection in 6-month-old pigs in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Hui Liao ◽  
Fang-Tzy Wu ◽  
Huimin Bai ◽  
Yen Hai Doan ◽  
Jyh-Yuan Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Entire Genome ◽  
Entire Genome Sequence ◽  
Detection Frequency ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
Acute Hepatitis E

Abstract Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of acute hepatitis E. Genotype 3 (G3) and 4 (G4) HEV have recently been identified in and isolated from swine as the main HEV genotypes worldwide. However, there is limited information on HEV infection status among pigs in Taiwan, especially pigs in the stage before transportation to the slaughterhouse. To determine the frequency of HEV infection among pigs in Taiwan, we detected and quantified HEV RNA contained in 295 fecal specimens collected from 6-month-old pigs bred in 30 pig farms located in 8 counties. We found that 25.1% (74/295) of the fecal specimens were positive for HEV RNA by a quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and the copy number ranged from 2.3 × 103 to 2.08 × 107 copies/g. Amplification of a 338 bp sequence in ORF2 was achieved in 16 of 74 HEV RNA-positive samples, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Two HEV sequences appeared to belong to subtype 3a of G3 and the remaining 14 HEV sequences belonged to subtype 4b of G4 (G4b). The entire genome sequence of two G4b HEVs was obtained by next-generation sequence analyses, and the phylogenetic analyses indicated that unique G4b HEVs were circulating in pig farms in Taiwan. In the present study, we found that both G3 and G4 HEVs were circulating in Taiwanese pig farms and G4b was the predominant subtype. In addition, the relatively high detection frequency of HEV RNA in the 6-month-old pigs indicated that Taiwanese pigs just before transportation to the slaughterhouse are at risk of carrying HEVs, and thus thorough cooking or heating of pork meat or organs is needed before consumption in Taiwan and possibly in other countries as well.

scholarly journals Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 in Sewage and Genotype 1 in Acute Hepatitis Cases, Israel

2016 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 216-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Ram ◽  
Yael Gozlan ◽  
Ella Mendelson ◽  
Orna Mor ◽  
Ziv Ben-Ari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Virus Genotype

scholarly journals Detection of Hepatitis E Virus-Specific Immunoglobulin A in Patients Infected with Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 1 or 3

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Herremans ◽  
E. Duizer ◽  
E. Jusic ◽  
M. P. G. Koopmans
Keyword(s):  
Acute Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Immunoglobulin M ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Route Of Transmission

ABSTRACT Currently, diagnosis of acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) in patients is primarily based on anti-HEV immunoglobulin M (IgM) detection. However, several investigations suggest the use of HEV-specific IgA for diagnosing acute HEV infections. We evaluated two commercially available assays, an IgA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Diacheck) and an adapted immunoblot protocol (Mikrogen) for IgA detection and compared the performance in genotype 1- and 3-infected patients. The specificity of the IgA assays was high, with no positive reactions in a control group of 18 acute hepatitis patients who were negative for HEV. The sensitivity calculated in nine PCR-positive type 1-infected patients was 100% in both assays but was clearly lower in genotype 3-infected patients (n = 14), with sensitivities of only 67% and 57% for the ELISA and immunoblot assay, respectively. The lower IgA responses detected in genotype 3-infected patients could be caused by the use of only the genotype 1 and 2 antigens in the serological assays. Interestingly in two patients with possible infection through blood transfusion no response or intermediate IgA responses were detected, and this might confirm the parenteral route of transmission. In both the type 1- and type 3-infected patients both the IgA and IgM responses disappeared simultaneously. We conclude that IgA detection is of limited value for the serodiagnosis of acute HEV cases, particularly with genotype 3.

Prevalence of hepatitis E virus in slaughter-age pigs in Scotland

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 2237-2240 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. CROSSAN ◽  
S. GRIERSON ◽  
J. THOMSON ◽  
A. WARD ◽  
J. NUNEZ-GARCIA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Partial Sequence ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Specific Antibodies ◽  
First Report ◽  
Slaughter Age ◽  
The Uk

SUMMARYThe prevalence of anti-HEV isotype-specific antibodies and viraemia were investigated in serum samples collected from slaughter-age pigs (aged 22–24 weeks) from 23 farms in Scotland. Of 176 serum samples tested, 29·0% (n = 51) were anti-HEV IgG positive, 36·9% (n = 65) anti-HEV IgA positive and 29·0% (n = 51) anti-HEV IgM positive. Overall seroprevalence (anti-HEV IgG+ and/or IgA+ and/or IgM+) was 61·4% (n = 108). HEV RNA was detected in 72/162 serum samples (44·4%). Partial sequence of ORF2 (98 nt) was obtained from eight HEV RNA-positive samples and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that they were all of genotype 3. This is the first report on the prevalence of HEV in pigs in Scotland. Given the increasing incidence of locally acquired HEV infection in the UK, evidence that HEV is a foodborne zoonosis emphasizes the need for surveillance in pigs.

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