Hepatitis E virus infection and its associated adverse feto-maternal outcomes among pregnant women in Qinhuangdao, China.

The aim of this study was to investigate the positive rate of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection and the possible adverse outcomes in pregnant women of Qinhuangdao, China. Serum samples of 946 pregnant women were collected from July 2017 to October 2017 in Qinhuangdao First Hospital. All samples were tested for anti-HEV IgM and IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Transmission of hepatitis E virus from rabbits to cynomolgus macaques.

The recent discovery of hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains in rabbits in the People's Republic of China and the United States revealed that rabbits are another noteworthy reservoir of HEV. However, whether HEV from rabbits can infect humans is unclear. To study the zoonotic potential for and pathogenesis of rabbit HEV, we infected 2 cynomolgus macaques and 2 rabbits with an HEV strain from rabbits in China.

Hepatitis E virus genotype 4 isolated from a patient with liver failure: full-length sequence analysis showing potential determinants of virus pathogenesis.

The full-length genome sequence of a genotype 4 strain of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) (CHN-NJ-H2011) from a patient (in Nanjing, China) with liver failure has been determined. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CHN-NJ-H2011 belongs to genotype 4, subtype 4h. Comparative sequence analysis carried out on a 301-bp fragment of ORF2 showed that CHN-NJ-H2011 shares high nucleotide sequence identity (94.

Phylogenetic analysis of 626 hepatitis E virus (HEV) isolates from humans and animals in China (1986-2011) showing genotype diversity and zoonotic transmission.

Hepatitis E is considered as a public health problem in China. To determine the overall molecular epidemiology of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and analyze the situation of cross-species transmission between humans and swine in China over the last 25 years (1986-2011), 626 HEV complete and partial sequences (89 isolates identified by our group) isolated from humans and animals in China were retrieved from GenBank and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. There were three genotypes and 11 sub-genotypes of HEV prevailing in China.

Phylogenetic analysis of the full genome of rabbit hepatitis E virus (rbHEV) and molecular biologic study on the possibility of cross species transmission of rbHEV.

Rabbit HEV strains were isolated in China from farmed rabbits, which may be a reservoir of a novel genotype of HEV. However, there is little information regarding host range and zoonotic potential of rabbit HEV. A previous study from this group identified 25 specific nucleotide positions as possibly being involved in specifying the host range of HEV and/or in determining the severity of hepatitis E disease, whereas this previous analysis did not extend to the new rabbit HEVs.

Analysing complete genome sequence of swine hepatitis E virus (HEV), strain CHN-XJ-SW13 isolated from Xinjiang, China: putative host range, and disease severity determinants in HEV.

Hepatitis E is a worldwide public health problem, particular in areas where hygiene conditions are poor. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has at least four genotypes: genotypes 1 and 2 exclusively infect human; while genotypes 3 and 4, are considered to be a zoonotic agent, infecting both humans and animals. This study was aimed at determining why genotype 3 and 4 HEV strains isolated from swine are able to cross species borders, whereas genotype1 and 2 strains isolated from humans are not.