title: Surveillance of hepatitis E virus contamination in shellfish in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been confirmed to be a zoonotic virus of worldwide distribution. HEV contamination in the water environment has not been well examined in China. The objective of this study was to evaluate HEV contamination in shellfish in a coastal area of China. Such contamination would be significant for evaluating public health risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  samples of three species shellfish were collected from thirteen points of estuarine tidal flats around the Bohai Gulf and screened for HEV RNA using an in-house nested RT-PCR assay. The detected HEV-positive samples were further verified by gene cloning and sequencing analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the overall HEV-positive detection rate is approximately 17.5% per kilogram of shellfish.  HEV was more common among S. subcrenata (28.2%), followed by A. granosa (14.3%) and R. philippinarum (11.5%). The phylogenetic analysis of the 13 HEV strains detected revealed that gene fragments fell into two known 4 sub-genotypes (4b/4d) groups and another unknown group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  13 different sub-genotype 4 HEVs were found in contaminated shellfish in the Bohai Gulf rim. The findings suggest that a health risk may exist for users of waters in the Bonhai area and to consumers of shellfish.  Further research is needed to assess the sources and infectivity of HEV in these settings, and to evaluate additional shellfish harvesting areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultral University, Shenyang 110161, China. gordon402@163.com.|Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine, Liaoning Medical University, No. 5-48 Renmin Street, Jinzhou 121001, China. gordon402@163.com.
authors.forename: Shenyang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Animal Quarantine Lab, Inspection & Quarantine Technology Center of Hainan Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau, Haikou 570000, China. bioluck@126.com.
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Liaoning Medical University, No. 5-48 Renmin Street, Jinzhou 121001, China. michelle_enhui@126.com.
authors.forename: Enhui
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zha
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultral University, Shenyang 110161, China. ztz1818@163.com.
authors.forename: Tiezhong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultral University, Shenyang 110161, China. wangshenln@163.com.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Shenyang Agricultral University, Shenyang 110161, China. yxqvap32@163.com.|Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine, Liaoning Medical University, No. 5-48 Renmin Street, Jinzhou 121001, China. yxqvap32@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yue
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012758:Shellfish / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins