title: Hepatitis E virus infection in wild mongooses of Okinawa, Japan: Demonstration of anti-HEV antibodies and a full-genome nucleotide sequence.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a single-strand RNA virus, has been recovered not only from human beings but also from various species of animals. Here we report our results suggesting that mongoose should be added to the list of reservoir animals of HEV. Of 100 mongooses we examined in Okinawa, Japan, 21 were thought to be positive for anti-HEV antibodies, among which one was definitely positive for HEV RNA. Full-genome sequencing of the HEV isolate revealed that it segregates to a unique subgroup within genotype III. Interestingly, this mongoose strain was closely related to a swine isolate previously reported from Okinawa, implicating the possibility of interspecies transmission between these animals.
authors.affiliation: Meat Hygiene Inspection Center, Pharmaceutical Affairs and Sanitation Division, Department of Health and Welfare, Okinawa 901-1202, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaji
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taira
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taira
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakugawa
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishiro