Analysis of the full-length genome of hepatitis E virus isolates obtained from wild boars in Japan.
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.
Nishizawa
Tsutomu
T
Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
Takahashi
Masaharu
M
Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
Endo
Kazunori
K
Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
Fujiwara
Shinji
S
Koyadairamura Kokuho Clinic, Tokushima-Ken 777-0302, Japan.
Sakuma
Nobuo
N
Kawakamimura Kokuho Clinic, Yamaguchi-Ken 758-0122, Japan.
Kawazuma
Fumiaki
F
Yodakubo Hospital, Nagano-Ken 386-0603, Japan.
Sakamoto
Hirotsugu
H
Kitaibaraki Municipal General Hospital, Ibaraki-Ken 319-1704, Japan.
Sato
Yukihiro
Y
Kamiichi General Hospital, Toyama-Ken 930-0391, Japan.
Bando
Masashi
M
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
Okamoto
Hiroaki
H
Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-Ken 329-0498, Japan.
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*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral