Acute hepatitis E by a new isolate acquired in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
To report the first case of acute hepatitis E by a novel isolate acquired in the United States and confirmed by nucleotide sequencing.


METHODS
We describe the clinical manifestations and the results of associated laboratory studies in a man who was found to have acute hepatitis E infection.


RESULTS
A 62-year-old man was hospitalized because of fever, abdominal pain, and jaundice. After an initial evaluation did not provide a cause, his serum was found to be positive for IgG anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) by three antibody assays. Serum was also positive for HEV RNA by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequencing results from the PCR products demonstrated substantial differences at the nucleotide level between this strain and the known Mexican and Burmese strains.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of this initial report, HEV should be considered an etiologic agent in patients with acute non-ABC hepatitis in the United States.
Kwo
P Y
PY
Division of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Schlauder
G G
GG
Carpenter
H A
HA
Murphy
P J
PJ
Rosenblatt
J E
JE
Dawson
G J
GJ
Mast
E E
EE
Krawczynski
K
K
Balan
V
V
D000208:Acute Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase