title: Analysis of the full-length genome of hepatitis E virus isolates obtained from wild boars in Japan.
abstract: Two (2.3 %) of 87 wild-caught boars in Japan had detectable hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA. The two boar HEV isolates (wbJTS1 and wbJYG1) obtained in the present study and a previously reported isolate (wbJSG1) whose partial sequence had been determined were sequenced over the entire genome. The wbJSG1, wbJTS1 and wbJYG1 isolates comprised 7225 or 7226 nt, excluding the poly(A) tail, and segregated into genotype 3. They differed by 8.5-11.2 % from each other and by 8.6-18.4 % from 17 reported genotype 3 HEV isolates, including one boar isolate, in the full-length sequence. When compared with 191 reported genotype 3 HEV isolates whose partial sequences were known, these three boar isolates were closer to Japanese isolates than to isolates of non-Japanese origin (89.2+/-2.6 vs 85.9+/-2.2 %; P<0.0001). A proportion of wild boars in Japan are infected with markedly heterogeneous HEV strains that are indigenous to Japan and may serve as reservoirs of HEV.
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.affiliation: Koyadairamura Kokuho Clinic, Tokushima-Ken 777-0302, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Kawakamimura Kokuho Clinic, Yamaguchi-Ken 758-0122, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.affiliation: Yodakubo Hospital, Nagano-Ken 386-0603, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kawazuma
authors.affiliation: Kitaibaraki Municipal General Hospital, Ibaraki-Ken 319-1704, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Kamiichi General Hospital, Toyama-Ken 930-0391, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bando
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000821:virology*; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral