Molecular Investigation on the Presence of Hepatitis E Virus in Wild Game in Okazaki City, Japan between April 2010 and November 2014

Abstract

Cases of hepatitis E have been caused by infection with hepatitis E virus (HEV) due to consumption of raw or undercooked game meats and liver of wild boars or deer in various countries. We investigated HEV prevalence in wild boar and deer in Okazaki City and its outskirts, Aichi, Japan, using liver samples (439 boar; 185 deer) collected between April 2010 and November 2014. HEV RNA was detected in 49 (11.2%)of 439 and 0 of 185 samples of wild boar and deer, respectively. The positive rate (13.0%, 28/216) of HEV RNA from the wild boar with estimated body weight of less than 40 kg was significantly higher than that (2.7%, 3/111) in animals with estimated body weight of more than 40 kg. The 49 HEV strains were typed as genotype 4 (G4) by phylogenetic analysis. They clustered with Aichi/Shizuoka strains and 48 of the 49 strains subclustered together (Okazaki strains).