| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5545144 | Veterinary Microbiology | 2017 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been detected in rabbits, a recently identified natural reservoir. In this study, anti-HEV antibodies and viral RNA were detected in rabbits sourced from a specific-pathogen-free (SPF) rabbit vendor in Shaanxi Province, China. BLAST results of partial HEV ORF2 genes cloned here indicated that two viral strains circulated in the rabbits. Sequence determination of the complete genome (7302Â bp) of one strain and a partial ORF1 gene (1537Â bp) of the other strain showed that they shared 90% identity with one another and 78%-94% identity with other known rabbit HEVs. In addition, inoculation with rabbit HEV from SPF rabbits studied here resulted in infection of SPF pigs; this cross-species transmission was evidenced by seroconversion, viremia and faecal virus shedding. These results suggest that to prevent spread of this zoonotic pathogen, rabbits should be tested routinely for HEV RNA in SPF vendor facilities.
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Authors
Baoyuan Liu, Yani Sun, Taofeng Du, Yiyang Chen, Xinjie Wang, Baicheng Huang, Huixia Li, Yuchen Nan, Shuqi Xiao, Gaiping Zhang, Julian A. Hiscox, En-Min Zhou, Qin Zhao,