title: Molecular Biology and Infection of Hepatitis E Virus.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a viral pathogen transmitted primarily via fecal-oral route. In humans, HEV mainly causes acute hepatitis and is responsible for large outbreaks of hepatitis across the world. The case fatality rate of HEV-induced hepatitis ranges from 0.5 to 3% in young adults and up to 30% in infected pregnant women. HEV strains infecting humans are classified into four genotypes. HEV strains from genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic, whereas those from genotypes 1 and 2 have no known animal reservoirs. Recently, notable progress has been accomplished for better understanding of HEV biology and infection, such as chronic HEV infection, in vitro cell culture system, quasi-enveloped HEV virions, functions of the HEV proteins, mechanism of HEV antagonizing host innate immunity, HEV pathogenesis and vaccine development. However, further investigation on the cross-species HEV infection, host tropism, vaccine efficacy, and HEV-specific antiviral strategy is still needed. This review mainly focuses on molecular biology and infection of HEV and offers perspective new insight of this enigmatic virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China; Molecular Virology Laboratory, VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine and Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, College ParkMD, USA.
authors.forename: Yuchen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nan
authors.affiliation: Molecular Virology Laboratory, VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine and Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD, USA.
authors.forename: Yan-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: HEV; HEV biology; HEV infection; HEV vaccine; hepatitis E virus; viral proteins of HEV