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Literature detail

First Detection of <i>Rocahepevirus</i> in Urban Wastewater from Guinea: A One Health Alert.

Bakary Doukouré1,2 Yann Le Pennec1,3 Cissé Fatoumata1 Ramatoulaye Diallo1 Issiaga Touré1 Noël Tordo1,4 Pierre Roques1,3
Affiliations 4 institutions
  1. Institut Pasteur de Guinée, Conakry BP 4416, Guinea.
  2. Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
  3. Immune Diseases, Microbiology and Innovative Therapies (IDMIT/UMRS 1184), Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CEA, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
  4. Virology Department, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France.
PMID 42075712 2026 Pathogens eng epublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide, with zoonotic genotypes detected in humans and animals. In Africa, limited data exist on environmental HEV circulation. Here, we report the first detection of <i>Rocahepevirus ratti</i> (RHEV) in urban wastewater from Conakry, Guinea. From December 2024 to April 2025, <i>Rocahepevirus ratti</i> (RHEV) has been detected in 35 out of 180 urban untreated wastewater samples in Conakry, Guinea. The phylogenetic analysis of partial HEV ORF1 genome segments reveals clustering with African rodent RHEV strains, highlighting environmental contamination and potential zoonotic risk for human populations in proximity. This finding underscores the need for integrated One Health surveillance to monitor HEV transmission at the human-animal-environment interface in West Africa, particularly in Guinea.

phylogenetic analysis RHEV Rocahepevirus ratti urban wastewater zoonotic risk Hepatitis E virus Wastewater Animals Genome, Viral Genotype Guinea Hepatitis E Humans One Health Phylogeny

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

2 total
Genomic Evolution 1 records
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.85
Key finding

Partial HEV ORF1 sequences from Rocahepevirus ratti in Guinea wastewater clustered phylogenetically with African rodent RHEV strains.

Host
Rodentia
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

The phylogenetic analysis of partial HEV ORF1 genome segments reveals clustering with African rodent RHEV strains.

Genes or proteins
ORF1
Analysis methods
phylogenetic analysis
Zoonotic Surveillance 1 records
Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

Rocahepevirus ratti (RHEV) was detected in urban wastewater samples from Conakry, Guinea, indicating environmental HEV circulation linked to rodents and potential zoonotic exposure at the human–animal interface.

Host
Not specified
Location
Guinea Conakry, Guinea
Supporting text

We report the first detection of Rocahepevirus ratti (RHEV) in urban wastewater from Conakry, Guinea. From December 2024 to April 2025, RHEV was detected in 35 out of 180 untreated wastewater samples, and phylogenetic analysis revealed clustering with African rodent RHEV strains, highlighting environmental contamination and potential zoonotic risk.

Method
environmental surveillance; phylogenetic analysis
Sample type
urban untreated wastewater
Geographic raw
Conakry
Country inferred
Guinea