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Literature detail

Rat hepatitis E virus cross-species infection and transmission in pigs.

Kush Kumar Yadav1,2 Patricia A Boley1 Carolyn M Lee1,2 Saroj Khatiwada1 Kwonil Jung1 Thamonpan Laocharoensuk1,2 Jake Hofstetter1 Ronna Wood1 Juliette Hanson1,2 Scott P Kenney1,2
Affiliations 2 institutions
  1. Department of Animal Sciences, Center for Food Animal Health, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691, USA.
  2. Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1900 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
PMID 39035038 2024 PNAS Nexus eng epublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

Strains of <i>Rocahepevirus ratti</i>, an emerging hepatitis E virus (HEV), have recently been found to be infectious to humans. Rats are a primary reservoir of the virus; thus, it is referred to as "rat HEV". Rats are often found on swine farms in close contact with pigs. Our goal was to determine whether swine may serve as a transmission host for zoonotic rat HEV by characterizing an infectious cDNA clone of a zoonotic rat HEV, strain LCK-3110, in vitro and in vivo. RNA transcripts of LCK-3110 were constructed and assessed for their replicative capacity in cell culture and in gnotobiotic pigs. Fecal suspension from rat HEV-positive gnotobiotic pigs was inoculated into conventional pigs co-housed with naïve pigs. Our results demonstrated that capped RNA transcripts of LCK-3110 rat HEV replicated in vitro and successfully infected conventional pigs that transmit the virus to co-housed animals. The infectious clone of rat HEV may afford an opportunity to study the genetic mechanisms of rat HEV cross-species infection and tissue tropism.

hepatitis E infectious pigs rat zoonotic

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

3 total
Cross Species Transmission 1 records
Cross Species Transmission Extraction confidence 0.98
Key finding

Rat hepatitis E virus strain LCK-3110 infected pigs and was transmitted to co-housed pigs, showing rat-to-pig cross-species transmission.

Virus
HEV
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Our results demonstrated that capped RNA transcripts of LCK-3110 rat HEV replicated in vitro and successfully infected conventional pigs that transmit the virus to co-housed animals.

Method
infectious cDNA clone construction; in vitro replication assay; in vivo infection
Study design
animal experiment
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Host Range Experiment 1 records
Host Range Experiment Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

Rat hepatitis E virus strain LCK-3110 replicated in vitro and infected pigs, which transmitted the virus to co-housed pigs.

Virus
HEV
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

RNA transcripts of LCK-3110 were constructed and assessed for their replicative capacity in cell culture and in gnotobiotic pigs. Fecal suspension from rat HEV-positive gnotobiotic pigs was inoculated into conventional pigs co-housed with naïve pigs. Our results demonstrated that capped RNA transcripts of LCK-3110 rat HEV replicated in vitro and successfully infected conventional pigs that transmit the virus to co-housed animals.

Method
infectious cDNA clone construction; experimental infection; replication assay; transmission experiment
Sample type
fecal suspension
Experimental system
in vivo animal experiment
Molecular Adaptation 1 records
Molecular Adaptation Extraction confidence 0.70
Key finding

An infectious cDNA clone of the zoonotic rat HEV strain LCK-3110 replicated in vitro and infected pigs, supporting molecular adaptation underlying cross-species infection and tissue tropism.

Host
Not specified
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Our results demonstrated that capped RNA transcripts of LCK-3110 rat HEV replicated in vitro and successfully infected conventional pigs that transmit the virus to co-housed animals. The infectious clone of rat HEV may afford an opportunity to study the genetic mechanisms of rat HEV cross-species infection and tissue tropism.

Mechanism types
replication_efficiency; tissue_tropism