HEPATITIS E VIRUS, WILDLIFE TO HUMANS - JAPAN

[Guest guest]

HEPATITIS E VIRUS, WILDLIFE TO HUMANS - JAPAN

*****************************************

A ProMED-mail post

<http://www.promedmail.org>

ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases

<http://www.isid.org>

 

Fri 1 Aug 2003

Akira Goto <dolphin

Source: The Lancet, Sat 2 Aug 2003, Vol. 362, No. 9381

[edited]

<http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol362/iss9381/full/llan.362.9381.original_res\

earch.26699.1>

 

Japan: Transmission of Hepatitis E Virus from Wild

Sika Deer to Humans

-----------------

Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus (HEV) has

been suggested for various animals, on the basis of

indirect evidence. Shuchin Tei and colleagues have

identified potential zoonotic transmission of HEV from

Japanese Sika deer (_Cervus nippon nippon_).

 

Over several weeks members of 2 [human] families

developed hepatitis symptoms, but were negative for

hepatitis A, B, and C viruses. Physicians discovered

the patients had several times eaten raw meat from

deer caught in the wild in the 7 weeks preceding the

first hospital admission. Fortunately, leftover meat

had been frozen and dated at the time of eating. HEV

RNA sequences in the meat of one deer and most of the

patients' samples were 100 percent identical. Shuchin

Tei and colleagues conclude that this finding is

direct evidence of zoonotic HEV transmission.

 

However, they believe consumption of substantial

amounts of raw deer meat is necessary for

transmission, since eating only a little did not lead

to infection in other family members.

 

--

Akira Goto

<dolphin

 

[The Research Letter from Shuchin Tei, Naoto Kitajima,

Kazuaki Takahashi, and Shunji Mishiro is entitled

" Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus from deer

to human beings. "

 

Hepatitis E virus is is a single-stranded

positive-sense RNA virus which has characteristics

(morphology and genome organization) in common with

members of the family _Caliciviridae_, but it is

sufficiently distinct phylogenetically to remain

classified as a distinct unassigned genus. Hepatitis E

virus has been associated with water-borne outbreaks

of illness and sporadic cases of enterically

transmitted acute hepatitis. Hepatitis E virus is

considered to be endemic in tropical regions of Asia,

Africa, and Central America, and non-pathogenic

variants may be present globally. On the basis of

immunological studies, related or identical hepatitis

E viruses infect primates, swine, and other animals,

to which now can be added Sika deer. - Mod.CP]

 

[Japan is a distinctly non-tropical country, so maybe

wildlife from temperate region countries should be

examined also. Sika deer are indigenous to Asia, but

have been introduced into zoos & parks in many

countries, notably Madagascar, South Africa, New

Zealand & various Pacific island countries, USA (e.g.

KY, MD, TX), UK & 7 other European countries, into

which they have escaped and are breeding in the wild,

and also hybridizing with indigenous deer in England &

Texas. It would be interesting to discover whether

those are also harboring hepatitis E virus, and

whether their meat is eaten raw in those countries. -

Mod.JW]

 

[see also:

2002

----

Hepatitis E virus - Central African Republic (Bangui)

20021010.5515

Hepatitis E virus, new genotypes - Japan (04)

20020724.4856

Hepatitis E virus, new genotypes - Japan (03)

20020724.4850

Hepatitis E virus, new genotypes - Japan (02)

20020722.4837

Hepatitis E virus, new genotypes - Japan 20020721.4824

2001

----

Hepatitis E virus, rat-borne? - USA 20011123.2871

Hepatitis E, epidemiology - Spain 20011005.2411

2000

----

Hepatitis E virus, full-length clone 20000223.0247

1999

----

Hepatitis E: emerging zoonosis? 19990121.0099

1997

----

Hepatitis E, new strain - USA (05) 19971202.2405

Hepatitis E, new strain - USA (04) 19971129.2376

Hepatitis E, new strain - USA (03) 19971125.2361

Hepatitis E, new strain - USA (02) 19971123.2350

Hepatitis E, new strain - USA 19971117.2317]

......................cp/pg/jw