title: Prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomystax) and pigs in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
abstract: The prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in wild boars and pigs in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, was serologically and genetically examined. The positive detection rates of anti-HEV IgG and HEV RNA in the wild boars were 4.5% (4/89) and 1.1% (1/89), whereas those in the pigs were 74.6% (126/169) and 1.8% (3/169), respectively. The positive rates of anti-HEV IgG and HEV RNA on the 17 pig farms in the present study ranged from 20% to 100%, respectively. One male wild boar approximately 5 years of age was positive for HEV RNA but was negative for anti-HEV IgG. Three pigs from 2 farms were positive for HEV RNA; 2 of these pigs were negative for HEV IgG, and the other was positive. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that all of the HEV ORF1 genes detected in the present study belonged to genotype III. In Gunma Prefecture, HEV is highly prevalent and widespread, and uncooked wild boar and pig meat may have the potential to transmit HEV to humans.
authors.affiliation: Gunma Prefectural Meat Inspection Laboratory, 305-7 Higoshi, Tamamura, Sawa, Gunma, Japan.
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakano
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiono
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Toshie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mokudai
authors.forename: Yurie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato-Motoi
authors.forename: Akiyo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nobusawa
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakaniwa
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kabeya
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral