Virology Journal (Feb 2009)

Isolation and characterization of a genotype 4 Hepatitis E virus strain from an infant in China

  • Cui Li,
  • Yang Zhibiao,
  • Kang Yanjun,
  • Ning Huibo,
  • Huang Fen,
  • Shan Tongling,
  • Liu Junfeng,
  • Shen Quan,
  • Yang Shixing,
  • Zhang Wen,
  • Zhu Jianguo,
  • Hua Xiuguo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-422X-6-24
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 1
p. 24

Abstract

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Abstract In the present study, a genotype 4 HEV strain was identified in the fecal specimen from a seven months old infant with no symptom of hepatitis in Shanghai Children's hospital. The full capsid protein gene (ORF2) sequence of this strain was determined by RT-PCR method. Sequence analysis based on the full ORF2 sequence indicated that this HEV strain shared the highest sequence identity (97.6%) with another human HEV strain isolated from a Japanese patient who was infected by genotype 4 HEV during traveling in Shanghai. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this genotype 4 HEV was phylogenetically far from the genotype 4 HEV strain that was commonly prevalent in Shanghai swine group, suggesting that this strain may not come from swine group and not involved in zoonotic transmission in this area.