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Literature detail

Hepatitis E virus strains in rabbits and evidence of a closely related strain in humans, France.

Jacques Izopet1 Martine Dubois Stéphane Bertagnoli Sébastien Lhomme Stéphane Marchandeau Samuel Boucher Nassim Kamar Florence Abravanel Jean-Luc Guérin
Affiliations 1 institutions
  1. Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Toulouse, France. [email protected]
PMID 22840216 2012 Emerg Infect Dis eng ppublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains from rabbits indicate that these mammals may be a reservoir for HEVs that cause infection in humans. To determine HEV prevalence in rabbits and the strains' genetic characteristics, we tested bile, liver, and additional samples from farmed and wild rabbits in France. We detected HEV RNA in 7% (14/200) of bile samples from farmed rabbits (in 2009) and in 23% (47/205) of liver samples from wild rabbits (in 2007-2010). Full-length genomic sequences indicated that all rabbit strains belonged to the same clade (nucleotide sequences 72.2%-78.2% identical to HEV genotypes 1-4). Comparison with HEV sequences of human strains and reference sequences identified a human strain closely related to rabbit strain HEV. We found a 93-nt insertion in the X domain of open reading frame 1 of the human strain and all rabbit HEV strains. These findings indicate that the host range of HEV in Europe is expanding and that zoonotic transmission of HEV from rabbits is possible.

Animal Husbandry Animals Animals, Wild Bile France Genotype Hepatitis E Hepatitis E virus Humans Liver Molecular Sequence Data Open Reading Frames Phylogeny Rabbits RNA, Viral Sequence Analysis, DNA Zoonoses

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

6 total
Genomic Evolution 2 records
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

Phylogenetic and genomic analysis revealed that rabbit HEV strains in France form a distinct clade closely related to a human HEV strain, all sharing a 93-nt insertion in the X domain of ORF1.

Virus
HEV
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Full-length genomic sequences indicated that all rabbit strains belonged to the same clade (nucleotide sequences 72.2%-78.2% identical to HEV genotypes 1-4). Comparison with HEV sequences of human strains and reference sequences identified a human strain closely related to rabbit strain HEV. We found a 93-nt insertion in the X domain of open reading frame 1 of the human strain and all rabbit HEV strains.

Genes or proteins
open reading frame 1; X domain
Analysis methods
full-length genomic sequencing; phylogenetic analysis; sequence comparison
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

A human HEV strain was found to be closely related to rabbit HEV strains, sharing a unique 93-nt insertion in the X domain of ORF1.

Virus
HEV
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Comparison with HEV sequences of human strains and reference sequences identified a human strain closely related to rabbit strain HEV. We found a 93-nt insertion in the X domain of open reading frame 1 of the human strain and all rabbit HEV strains.

Genes or proteins
open reading frame 1; X domain
Analysis methods
phylogenetic analysis; sequence comparison
Molecular Adaptation 1 records
Molecular Adaptation Extraction confidence 0.80
Key finding

A 93-nucleotide insertion in the X domain of ORF1 was found in both rabbit and human hepatitis E virus strains, indicating a shared molecular adaptation possibly linked to host range expansion.

Virus
HEV
Host
Not specified
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

We found a 93-nt insertion in the X domain of open reading frame 1 of the human strain and all rabbit HEV strains.

Genes or proteins
open reading frame 1; X domain
Mutations
93-nt insertion
Mechanism types
host_range_expansion
Reservoir Ecology 1 records
Reservoir Ecology Extraction confidence 0.80
Key finding

Rabbits in France carried Hepatitis E virus RNA, suggesting that both farmed and wild rabbit populations function as a reservoir for HEV strains related to those infecting humans.

Virus
HEV
Location
France France
Supporting text

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains from rabbits indicate that these mammals may be a reservoir for HEVs that cause infection in humans. To determine HEV prevalence in rabbits, we tested bile, liver, and additional samples from farmed and wild rabbits in France. We detected HEV RNA in 7% (14/200) of bile samples from farmed rabbits (in 2009) and in 23% (47/205) of liver samples from wild rabbits (in 2007-2010).

Method
sample testing; RNA detection
Sample type
bile; liver
Geographic raw
France
Country inferred
France
Spillover Event 1 records
Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.85
Key finding

A human Hepatitis E virus strain closely related to rabbit HEV strains was detected in France, indicating potential animal-to-human spillover from rabbits.

Virus
HEV
Location
France France
Supporting text

Comparison with HEV sequences of human strains and reference sequences identified a human strain closely related to rabbit strain HEV. These findings indicate that zoonotic transmission of HEV from rabbits is possible.

Method
molecular sequencing; genomic comparison
Study design
field surveillance
Transmission direction
animal-to-human
Geographic raw
France
Country inferred
France
Zoonotic Surveillance 1 records
Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

Hepatitis E virus RNA was detected during molecular surveillance of farmed and wild rabbits in France, with 7% positivity in bile samples and 23% in liver samples.

Virus
HEV
Location
France France
Supporting text

We tested bile, liver, and additional samples from farmed and wild rabbits in France. We detected HEV RNA in 7% (14/200) of bile samples from farmed rabbits (in 2009) and in 23% (47/205) of liver samples from wild rabbits (in 2007-2010).

Method
RNA detection
Sample type
bile; liver
Geographic raw
France
Country inferred
France