Potential Sources of Hepatitis E Virus

HEV RNA sequences were detected in swine feces and river water in the Netherlands.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has caused multiple large disease outbreaks in developing countries, where fecal contamination of water is common. Sporadic cases and serologic surveys suggest that some HEV strains may be widespread globally. To assess potential HEV sources in the Netherlands, where about 10 cases of non–travel-related HEV infections have been reported annually since 2003, investigators looked for HEV in water, food, and animals.

HEV RNA was detected in 51 pooled fecal samples from 97 farms, in 7 of 50 individual samples from 6-month-old pigs at a slaughterhouse, and in 1 of 26 samples from wild boars. Two of 12 large-volume, filtered water samples from the Meuse River were positive. An earlier study had detected HEV sequences in 4 o…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Potential Sources of Hepatitis E Virus

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Reviewing Author