Wildlife Reservoir for Hepatitis E Virus, Southwestern France

Emerg Infect Dis. 2015 Jul;21(7):1224-6. doi: 10.3201/eid2107.141909.

Abstract

Pigs are a reservoir for hepatitis E virus (HEV). To determine the relative contribution of game to the risk for human HEV infection in southwestern France, we tested wildlife samples. HEV RNA was in 3.3% of wildlife livers, indicating that in this region, eating game meat is as risky as eating pork.

Keywords: France; hepatitis; hepatitis E virus; reservoir; viruses; wildlife.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Deer / virology
  • Disease Reservoirs*
  • France / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis E / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis E / veterinary*
  • Hepatitis E / virology
  • Hepatitis E virus / genetics*
  • Liver / virology
  • Prevalence
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Rabbits
  • Sus scrofa / virology

Substances

  • RNA, Viral