title: Genotype-4 hepatitis E in a human after ingesting roe deer meat in South Korea.
abstract: The recent increase in the number of cases of indigenous hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection highlights the importance of identifying the transmission routes for the prevention of such infections. Presented herein is the first case of acute HEV infection after ingesting wild roe deer meat in South Korea. A 43-year-old male presented with abdominal discomfort and jaundice. He had not recently traveled abroad, but had eaten raw roe-deer meat 6-8 weeks before the presentation. On the 7th day of hospitalization the patient was diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis E. Phylogenetic analysis of his serum revealed genotype-4 HEV. This case supports the possibility of zoonotic transmission of HEV because the patient appears to have been infected with genotype-4 HEV after ingesting raw deer meat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
authors.forename: Ja Yoon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jeong-Mi
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yun Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Hyun Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Hyun Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woon Tae
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ok Jae
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Haesun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Yeong-Sil
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D003670:Deer / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: Genotype 4 hepatitis E; Roe deer; South Korea