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  • Rat Hepatitis E Virus as Ca...
    Sridhar, Siddharth; Yip, Cyril C Y; Wu, Shusheng; Cai, Jianpiao; Zhang, Anna Jin-Xia; Leung, Kit-Hang; Chung, Tom W H; Chan, Jasper F W; Chan, Wan-Mui; Teng, Jade L L; Au-Yeung, Rex K H; Cheng, Vincent C C; Chen, Honglin; Lau, Susanna K P; Woo, Patrick C Y; Xia, Ning-Shao; Lo, Chung-Mau; Yuen, Kwok-Yung

    Emerging infectious diseases, 12/2018, Letnik: 24, Številka: 12
    Journal Article

    All hepatitis E virus (HEV) variants reported to infect humans belong to the species Orthohepevirus A (HEV-A). The zoonotic potential of the species Orthohepevirus C (HEV-C), which circulates in rats and is highly divergent from HEV-A, is unknown. We report a liver transplant recipient with hepatitis caused by HEV-C infection. We detected HEV-C RNA in multiple clinical samples and HEV-C antigen in the liver. The complete genome of the HEV-C isolate had 93.7% nt similarity to an HEV-C strain from Vietnam. The patient had preexisting HEV antibodies, which were not protective against HEV-C infection. Ribavirin was an effective treatment, resulting in resolution of hepatitis and clearance of HEV-C viremia. Testing for this zoonotic virus should be performed for immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with unexplained hepatitis because routine hepatitis E diagnostic tests may miss HEV-C infection. HEV-C is also a potential threat to the blood product supply.