Wildlife Reservoir for Hepatitis E Virus, Southwestern France

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

• hepatitis E virus
• reservoir
• wildlife
• viruses
• France
• hepatitis