title: Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus from deer to human beings.
abstract: Zoonosis has been suggested for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, but so far is based only on indirect evidence. We experienced a series of cases of HEV infection among people who had eaten uncooked deer meat 6-7 weeks before. On testing, a left over portion of the deer meat, kept frozen to eat in the future, was positive for HEV RNA, whose nucleotide sequence was identical to those from the patients. Patients' family members who ate none or very little of the deer meat remained uninfected. These findings provide direct evidence for HEV infection to be a zoonosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal medicine, Kasai City Hospital, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuchin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tei
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer / Q000821:virology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral