Cross-species infection of hepatitis E virus in a zoo-like location, including birds.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic pathogen of which several species of animals are considered to be reservoirs. Thirty-eight faecal samples, obtained from 22 species of animals including birds in a wildlife first-aid centre in Eastern China, were tested for HEV RNA. Our survey revealed that in total 28.9% (95% confidence interval 14.5-43.4) of the faecal samples from various mammals and birds were HEV RNA positive. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the 11 isolates demonstrated that all sequences clustered in genotype 4 with 96-100% identity to each other. In addition, serum samples from seven animal handlers have shown that five (71.4%) were seropositive. The findings imply that cross-species infection of HEV had probably occurred in this zoo-like location, and moreover, birds can be infected naturally with mammalian HEV.
Zhang
W
W
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, PR China.
Shen
Q
Q
Mou
J
J
Yang
Z B
ZB
Yuan
C L
CL
Cui
L
L
Zhu
J G
JG
Hua
X G
XG
Xu
C M
CM
Hu
J
J
D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000821:virology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral