[Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis E virus in Hungary: endemic, food-borne zoonosis].
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of a common cause of acute, fecally transmitted hepatitis in developing countries. Identification of HEV in indigenous human infection and in domestic pig raises the possibility that HEV infection is also a zoonosis.


OBJECTIVE
Molecular detection and epidemiology of HEV in humans with acute hepatitis and in domestic (pig, cattle) and wild (boar and roe-deer) animals by ELISA and RT-PCR in Hungary.


RESULTS
Between 2001 and 2006, a total of 116 (9.6%) human sera were positive by HEV IgM ELISA and 13 (24.5%) of 53 samples were also confirmed by RT-PCR and sequencing. Forty-two, 11 and 9 samples were RT-PCR-positive from swine (feces: 22.7%; liver: 30.8%), roe-deer (liver: 34.4%) and wild boar (liver: 12.2%), respectively. Except for an imported infection caused by genotype 1, 19 sequences (human: 12, swine: 4, roe-deer: 1, wild boar: 2) belong to genotype 3 HEV. Genetically identical strains were detected in human and roe-deer and in 2 other human clusters.


CONCLUSIONS
HEV is an endemic agent in Hungary. Consumption of raw or undercooked meat-products is one of the possible sources of the indigenous HEV infections. Cross-species infection with genotype 3 HEV involves a food-borne transmission route in Hungary.
Reuter
Gábor
G
Gastroenteralis Vírusok Nemzeti Referencia Laboratóriuma, ANTSZ Dél-dunántúli Regionális Intézete Regionális Virológiai Laboratórium Pécs Szabadság u. 7. 7623. reuter.gabor@baranya.antsz.hu
Fodor
Domonka
D
Forgách
Petra
P
Kátai
Andrea
A
Szucs
György
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007422:Intestines / Q000821:virology; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*
D012367:RNA, Viral