scholarly journals Light and Darkness: Prevalence of Hepatitis E Virus Infection among the General Population

Scientifica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
José-Manuel Echevarría
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Urban Sewage ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
Epidemiology Studies ◽  
The Impact

Human hepatitis E virus (HHEV) spreads early in life among the population in areas endemic for genotype 1 and infects mainly adults in areas endemic for genotype 3, where it would be responsible for about 10% of cases of suspected acute viral hepatitis of unknown etiology and for a number of subclinical, unrecognized infections. The overall prevalence of antibody to HHEV is high in most of the former areas and low in most of the later ones, but wide regional differences have been recorded in both cases. “Hot spots” of HHEV infection would exist for both types of strains in particular regions or among particular populations of the world. Studies on pork derivatives, shellfish bivalves, and vegetables for HHEV contamination at the sale point need to be extended for evaluating the impact of the agent on food safety, and the meaning of the finding of HHEV genotype 1 genomes in urban sewage from developed countries should be established through active surveillance. Consensus about technical issues in regard to anti-HEV testing would improve the knowledge of the HHEV epidemiology. Studies in particular regions and populations, and introduction of molecular diagnosis in the clinical setting as a routine tool, would also be required.

scholarly journals Endemic hepatitis E in two Nordic countries

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Norder ◽  
L Sundqvist ◽  
L Magnusson ◽  
S Østergaard Breum ◽  
M Löfdahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
High Similarity ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Domestic Pigs ◽  
Travel Abroad

Antibodies against hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) were found in 248 Swedish and Danish patients between 1993 and 2007. Most patients were symptomatic and tested for anti-HEV due to travel abroad. Among patients with known country of infection, most were infected in Asia, mainly on the Indian subcontinent. However, 29 patients were infected in Europe, nine of these had HEV IgM and/or HEV RNA in serum. In sera from 65 of 141 tested patients HEV RNA could be detected, and 63 strains could be typed by limited sequencing within ORF2. HEV RNA was found in sera from 71% of the patients with HEV IgM and IgG and in 18% of the patients with only detectable HEV IgG. It was also found up to three weeks after the onset of disease in 67% of the patients with known date of onset. Patients infected in Europe were infected by genotype 3, and were older than those infected by genotype 1 (mean age 55.3 vs 30 years, p<0.001). Since it is known that genotype 3 can infect domestic pigs, HEV strains from 18 piglets in 17 herds in Sweden and Denmark were sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of the genotype 3 strains showed geographical clades and high similarity between strains from patients and pigs from the same area. There are thus autochthonous hepatitis E cases in Scandinavia, and there are probably many undiagnosed ones. Patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology should therefore be investigated for anti-HEV even if they have not been outside Europe, since infections acquired from pigs or other animals should be taken into consideration.

scholarly journals Hepatitis E virus genotype 3 and sporadically also genotype 1 circulate in the population of Catalonia, Spain

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 664-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar Clemente-Casares ◽  
Jesus Rodriguez-Manzano ◽  
Rosina Girones
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Virus Genotype ◽  
Urban Sewage

Autochthonous hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains have been described infecting populations of industrialized countries, previously considered as non-endemic areas. The HEV strains circulating in one of those areas in south-western Europe (Barcelona, Spain) have been studied by analysing amplicons obtained from HEV genomes identified in wastewater, biosolids and sludge. Six sewage and two biosolid HEV positive samples from urban wastewater treatment plants and two positive HEV sludge samples with animal contamination were analysed by cloning and sequencing of 10–12 clones per sample. The results proved the presence of HEV strains belonging to genotype 3 and also sporadically to genotype 1 in urban sewage and biosolids, showing the simultaneous circulation of diverse HEV strains in the human population of the studied area. Only HEV genotype 3 was identified in slaughterhouse sludge samples. The circulation of genotype 1 in industrialized areas may have further health implications since this genotype has been associated with important epidemics in developing areas. Contamination of food and water through their contact with sewage not properly treated and biosolids presenting HEV may represent a significant risk for human populations in relation to HEV even in industrialized areas.

scholarly journals Advances in Hepatitis E Virus Biology and Pathogenesis

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Shaoli Lin ◽  
Yan-Jin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Rapid Progression ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Zoonotic Infections

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the causative agents for liver inflammation across the world. HEV is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. Human HEV strains mainly belong to four major genotypes in the genus Orthohepevirus A, family Hepeviridae. Among the four genotypes, genotype 1 and 2 are obligate human pathogens, and genotype 3 and 4 cause zoonotic infections. HEV infection with genotype 1 and 2 mainly presents as acute and self-limiting hepatitis in young adults. However, HEV infection of pregnant women with genotype 1 strains can be exacerbated to fulminant hepatitis, resulting in a high rate of case fatality. As pregnant women maintain the balance of maternal-fetal tolerance and effective immunity against invading pathogens, HEV infection with genotype 1 might dysregulate the balance and cause the adverse outcome. Furthermore, HEV infection with genotype 3 can be chronic in immunocompromised patients, with rapid progression, which has been a challenge since it was reported years ago. The virus has a complex interaction with the host cells in downregulating antiviral factors and recruiting elements to generate a conducive environment of replication. The virus-cell interactions at an early stage might determine the consequence of the infection. In this review, advances in HEV virology, viral life cycle, viral interference with the immune response, and the pathogenesis in pregnant women are discussed, and perspectives on these aspects are presented.

scholarly journals Evaluation of High-Pressure Processing in Inactivation of the Hepatitis E Virus

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda Nasheri ◽  
Tanushka Doctor ◽  
Angela Chen ◽  
Jennifer Harlow ◽  
Alexander Gill
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
High Pressure Processing ◽  
Pathogen Inactivation ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Similar Treatment ◽  
Log Reduction

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute hepatitis with approximately 20 million cases per year globally. While HEV is endemic in certain regions of Asia, Africa and South America, it is considered an emerging foodborne pathogen in developed countries. Based on genetic diversity, HEV is classified into different genotypes, with genotype 3 (HEV-3) being most prevalent in Europe and North America. The transmission of HEV-3 has been shown to be zoonotic and mainly associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked pork products. Herein, we investigated the efficacy of high-pressure processing (HPP) in the inactivation of HEV-3 using a cell culture system. HPP has been indicated as a promising nonthermal pathogen inactivation strategy for treatment of certain high-risk food commodities, without any noticeable changes in their nature. For this purpose, we treated HEV-3 in media as well as in artificially inoculated pork pâté, with different conditions of HPP: 400 MPa for 1 and 5 minutes, as well as 600 MPa for 1 and 5 minutes, at ambient temperature. In general, we observed approximately a 2-log reduction in HEV load by HPP treatments in media; however, similar treatment in the pork pâté resulted in a much lower reduction in viral load. Therefore, the efficacy of HPP treatment in the inactivation of HEV-3 is matrix-dependent.

scholarly journals High prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus antibodies among blood donors in central Italy, February to March 2014

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (30) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Lucarelli ◽  
Enea Spada ◽  
Gloria Taliani ◽  
Paola Chionne ◽  
Elisabetta Madonna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Blood Donors ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Recent Infection ◽  
Assay Sensitivity ◽  
Prevalence Rate Ratio

Prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibodies is highly variable in developed countries, which seems partly due to differences in assay sensitivity. Using validated sensitive assays, we tested 313 blood donors attending a hospital transfusion unit in central Italy in January and February 2014 for anti-HEV IgG and IgM and HEV RNA. Data on HEV exposure were collected from all donors. Overall anti-HEV IgG prevalence was 49% (153/313). Eating raw dried pig-liver sausage was the only independent predictor of HEV infection (adjusted prevalence rate ratio = 2.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.23–3.74). Three donors were positive for either anti-HEV IgM (n = 2; 0.6%) or HEV RNA (n = 2; 0.6%); they were completely asymptomatic, without alanine aminotransferase (ALT) abnormalities. Of the two HEV RNA-positive donors (both harbouring genotype 3), one was anti-HEV IgG- and IgM-positive, the other was anti-HEV IgG- and IgM-negative. The third donor was positive for anti-HEV IgG and IgM but HEV RNA-negative. HEV infection is therefore hyperendemic among blood donors (80% men 18–64 years-old) from central Italy and associated with local dietary habits. Nearly 1% of donors have acute or recent infection, implying potential transmission to blood recipients. Neither ALT nor anti-HEV IgM testing seems useful to prevent transfusion-transmitted HEV infection.

scholarly journals Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 in Sewage and Genotype 1 in Acute Hepatitis Cases, Israel

2016 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 216-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Ram ◽  
Yael Gozlan ◽  
Ella Mendelson ◽  
Orna Mor ◽  
Ziv Ben-Ari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Virus Genotype

scholarly journals Detection of Hepatitis E Virus-Specific Immunoglobulin A in Patients Infected with Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 1 or 3

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Herremans ◽  
E. Duizer ◽  
E. Jusic ◽  
M. P. G. Koopmans
Keyword(s):  
Acute Hepatitis ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Immunoglobulin M ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Route Of Transmission

ABSTRACT Currently, diagnosis of acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) in patients is primarily based on anti-HEV immunoglobulin M (IgM) detection. However, several investigations suggest the use of HEV-specific IgA for diagnosing acute HEV infections. We evaluated two commercially available assays, an IgA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Diacheck) and an adapted immunoblot protocol (Mikrogen) for IgA detection and compared the performance in genotype 1- and 3-infected patients. The specificity of the IgA assays was high, with no positive reactions in a control group of 18 acute hepatitis patients who were negative for HEV. The sensitivity calculated in nine PCR-positive type 1-infected patients was 100% in both assays but was clearly lower in genotype 3-infected patients (n = 14), with sensitivities of only 67% and 57% for the ELISA and immunoblot assay, respectively. The lower IgA responses detected in genotype 3-infected patients could be caused by the use of only the genotype 1 and 2 antigens in the serological assays. Interestingly in two patients with possible infection through blood transfusion no response or intermediate IgA responses were detected, and this might confirm the parenteral route of transmission. In both the type 1- and type 3-infected patients both the IgA and IgM responses disappeared simultaneously. We conclude that IgA detection is of limited value for the serodiagnosis of acute HEV cases, particularly with genotype 3.

scholarly journals Acute hepatitis caused by a novel strain of hepatitis E virus most closely related to United States strains

2001 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 1687-1693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamina Kabrane-Lazizi ◽  
Mingdong Zhang ◽  
Robert H. Purcell ◽  
Kirk D. Miller ◽  
Richard T. Davey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Acute Hepatitis ◽  
Sequence Comparison ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Aetiological Agent ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
The Us

A unique hepatitis E virus (HEV) strain was identified as the aetiological agent of acute hepatitis in a United States (US) patient who had recently returned from vacation in Thailand, a country in which HEV is endemic. Sequence comparison showed that this HEV strain was most similar, but not identical, to the swine and human HEV strains recovered in the US. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this new HEV isolate was closer to genotype 3 strains than to the genotype 1 strains common in Asia. The fact that this HEV was closely related to strains recovered in countries where HEV is not endemic and was highly divergent from Asian HEV strains raises the questions of where the patient’s infection was acquired and of whether strains are geographically as localized as once thought.

scholarly journals Classification of the Zoonotic Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 Into Distinct Subgenotypes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Nicot ◽  
Chloé Dimeglio ◽  
Marion Migueres ◽  
Nicolas Jeanne ◽  
Justine Latour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Epidemiology ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Virus Genotype ◽  
Subtype Classification ◽  
Reference Sequences ◽  
Epidemiology Studies

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 is the most common genotype linked to HEV infections in Europe and America. Three major clades (HEV-3.1, HEV-3.2, and HEV-3.3) have been identified but the overlaps between intra-subtype and inter-subtype p-distances make subtype classification inconsistent. Reference sequences have been proposed to facilitate communication between researchers and new putative subtypes have been identified recently. We have used the full or near full-length HEV-3 genome sequences available in the Genbank database (April 2020; n = 503) and distance analyses of clades HEV-3.1 and HEV-3.2 to determine a p-distance cut-off (0.093 nt substitutions/site) in order to define subtypes. This could help to harmonize HEV-3 genotyping, facilitate molecular epidemiology studies and investigations of the biological and clinical differences between HEV-3 subtypes.

scholarly journals Quadruple Recombination Events Discovered in Hepatitis E Virus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Shen ◽  
Shuning Liu ◽  
Min Ding ◽  
Haixia Gu ◽  
Ming Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Recombination Event ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Progeny Virus ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Genotype 1 ◽  
Genotype 3 ◽  
Minor Parent ◽  
Detection Analysis ◽  
Orf2 Region

Abstract Hepatitis E virus (HEV) can infect humans, pigs, and many other animals, but the recombination of HEV has rarely been reported. In the present study, phylogenetic and recombination analyses were performed on 557 complete HEV genomes in GenBank. A potentially significant quadruple recombination event was identified by recombination detection analysis. The recombinant progeny virus HEV_32_Manchester_301214 was produced by recombination between the major parent HEPAC-44 and the minor parent HE-JA15-1335, thereby reflecting inter-genotype recombination. HEV_32_Manchester_301214 and HEPAC-44 belong to genotype 3, while HE-JA15-1335 belongs to genotype 1, and these three strains have all been separated from humans. Three breakpoints of the four recombination events occurred in the ORF2 region, while another occurred in the ORF1 region. This quadruple recombination event was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. The genotype, host and the recombination regions of the three strains were analyzed. These results of the analyses provide valuable suggestions for future research on HEV diversity.

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