Detection and characterization of Hepatitis E virus from commercial rabbit livers in Hebei, China

Peng XIAO; Ji-jing TIAN; Jing-jing MAO; Zhao-jie GUO; Yue ZHAO; Tian-long LIU; Jian CHEN; Tong-tong WANG; Long-huan MA; Rui-ping SHE

Journal of Integrative Agriculture (Dec 2021)

Detection and characterization of Hepatitis E virus from commercial rabbit livers in Hebei, China

Peng XIAO,
Ji-jing TIAN,
Jing-jing MAO,
Zhao-jie GUO,
Yue ZHAO,
Tian-long LIU,
Jian CHEN,
Tong-tong WANG,
Long-huan MA,
Rui-ping SHE

Affiliations

Peng XIAO: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Ji-jing TIAN: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Jing-jing MAO: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China; Shanghai InnoStar Bio-Tech Co., Shanghai 201203, P.R.China
Zhao-jie GUO: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Yue ZHAO: Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, P.R.China
Tian-long LIU: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Jian CHEN: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Tong-tong WANG: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Long-huan MA: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
Rui-ping SHE: Laboratory of Animal Pathology and Public Health/Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R.China; Correspondence SHE Rui-ping

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 20, no. 12
pp. 3270 – 3276

Abstract

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Rabbit hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been reported for years and is thought to have the potential for zoonotic transmission from rabbits to humans. As reported, HEV genotype 3 (gt3) is the most prevalent form of HEV in rabbits. To determine the prevalence of HEV in commercial rabbit livers, 176 liver samples were collected from an abattoir in Hebei Province, China. Three (1.7%) samples tested positive for RNA of HEV-ORF2 (open reading frames-2). Sequence analysis showed that the three isolates shared high identities with each other (94.08–98.85%). Further analysis showed that all the rabbit strains clustered together in the branch of HEV gt3. Further study by immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays showed that 131 (74.4%) liver samples were positive for HEV ORF2 protein. Pathological changes including cell degeneration, inflammatory cell infiltration and bile duct epithelial cell hyperplasia were observed under microscopy. These findings indicated the presence of HEV in commercial livers of rabbits. Additional studies should be conducted to investigate the infectivity of rabbit HEV (rHEV) and the potential risks of zoonotic transmission of rHEV from rabbits to human beings.

Published in Journal of Integrative Agriculture

ISSN: 2095-3119 (Print); 2352-3425 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Agriculture (General)
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-integrative-agriculture

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