Different fecal shedding patterns of two common strains of hepatitis E virus at three Japanese swine farms.
Zoonotic infections caused by eating the meat of deer, wild boar, and pig have been suggested in Japan, a country that is not epidemic for hepatitis E caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV). This virus is widely spread in domestic pigs in both epidemic and non-epidemic countries. We studied fecal HEV shedding patterns on three Japanese farms that had two common genotype III HEV strains. Two of the three farms had high shedding peaks (75% and 100%) in pigs 1-3 months of age, suggesting that these animals had the highest risk of spreading HEV through feces. Another farm had a low shedding rate in animals six months of age and a low prevalence of the IgG antibody to HEV. Fecal IgA antibody to HEV was found in sucking pigs < 13 days of age on farms that had high and low shedding patterns. A small fraction of pigs (3 of 43 [7%]) at the finishing stage (5-6 months of age) still shed HEV on the three farms.
Nakai
Izumi
I
National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Japan.
Kato
Kanako
K
Miyazaki
Ayako
A
Yoshii
Masaaki
M
Li
Tian-Cheng
TC
Takeda
Naokazu
N
Tsunemitsu
Hiroshi
H
Ikeda
Hidetoshi
H
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007564:Japan; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology*; D017201:Virus Shedding / Q000502:physiology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral