The role of rats in human hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections remains controversial. A genetically distinct HEV was recently isolated from rats in Germany, and its genome was sequenced. We have isolated a genetically similar HEV from urban rats in Los Angeles, California, USA, and characterized its ability to infect laboratory rats and nonhuman primates. Two strains of HEV were isolated from serum samples of 134 wild rats that had a seroprevalence of antibodies against HEV of ≈80%. Virus was transmissible to seronegative Sprague-Dawley rats, but transmission was spotty and magnitude and duration of infection were not robust. Viremia was higher in nude rats. Serologic analysis and reverse transcription PCR were comparably sensitive in detecting infection. The sequence of the Los Angeles virus was virtually identical to that of isolates from Germany. Rat HEV was not transmissible to rhesus monkeys, suggesting that it is not a source of human infection.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3311208 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1712.110482 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The impact of hypothetical early life interventions on rapid weight gain during infancy and body mass index at 5 and 8 years in Norway: The Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).
Pediatr Obes
March 2025
Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California, USA.
Objectives: This study examined the impact of hypothetical interventions on (i) early life factors (prenatal and early postnatal) on rapid weight gain during infancy, and (ii) early life factors and child energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB) on children's body mass index (BMI)-for-age at 5 and 8 years.
Methods: Data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study included participants aged 2 (n = 48 109), 5 (n = 18 810) and 8 (n = 10 830) years. Early life intervention variables were maternal smoking during pregnancy, maternal weight before and during pregnancy, exclusive/partial breastfeeding for 6 months, and introduction of complementary food at 6 months.
Corticosteroid use to mitigate transaminitis-associated decline in FVIII levels following valoctocogene roxaparvovec gene therapy: clinical practice guidance.
J Thromb Haemost
March 2025
Medical Clinic 2, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
Valoctocogene roxaparvovec is the only factor VIII (FVIII) gene therapy currently approved for adults with severe hemophilia A in Europe and the USA. Elevated alanine transaminase (transaminitis) has been the most common adverse event observed during valoctocogene roxaparvovec clinical trials. Typically mild and transient, this marker of hepatocyte injury coincides, in some patients, with reduced FVIII levels and is generally managed with a reactive course of corticosteroids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAugmented Intelligence and Dermatology - Part II: Bias, Benchmarks, Guidelines, Ethics, Regulation, and Future Directions.
J Am Acad Dermatol
March 2025
Department of Dermatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
Despite the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, numerous challenges remain in the development and evaluation of AI related technologies. Furthermore, a practice gap exists in how to responsibly implement AI effectively, ethically, and legally in dermatology. Part 2 of this continuing medical education review series will explain the key technical challenges and principles of trustworthy and responsible AI as well as describe the ethical challenges and review resources to help guide safe, effective, and ethical AI in dermatology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRetinal Imaging in an Era of Open Science and Privacy Protection.
Exp Eye Res
March 2025
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address:
Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise for analyzing complex data to advance patient care and disease research. For example, AI interpretation of retinal imaging may enable the development of noninvasive retinal biomarkers of systemic disease. One potential limitation, however, is government regulation regarding retinal imaging as biometric data, which has been recently under debate in the United States.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProsocial Helping Behavior: Conceptual Issues and Neural Mechanisms.
Biol Psychiatry
March 2025
From Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address:
Prosocial helping behavior, characterized by voluntary actions taken to benefit others, plays a vital role in promoting cooperation and maintaining social bonds across human and animal social groups. In this review, we examine key conceptual issues surrounding prosocial behavior, focusing specifically on targeted helping and comforting actions. We outline the behavioral paradigms used to study these two types of prosocial behaviors and summarize recent insights into their underlying neural mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!