Molecular Epidemiology and Strain Comparison between Hepatitis E Viruses in Human Sera and Pig Livers during 2014 to 2016 in Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in developing countries and is considered an emerging foodborne pathogen in developed countries in which it was previously not endemic. To investigate genetic association between human HEV infection and HEV-contaminated high-risk food in Hong Kong, we compared local virus strains obtained from hepatitis E patient sera with those surveyed from high-risk food items during 2014 to 2016. Twenty-four cases of laboratory-confirmed human HEV infections were identified from January 2014 to March 2016 in our hospitals. Five types of food items at risk of HEV contamination were purchased on a biweekly basis from April 2014 to March 2016 in two local market settings: supermarkets (lamb, oyster, and pig liver) and wet markets (oyster,

SUBMITTER: Chan MCW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5405258 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature