Yamamoto Hiroshi, Li Tian-Cheng, Koshimoto Chihiro, Ito Kaori, Kita Masakazu, Miyashita Nobumoto, Arikawa Jiro, Yagami Kenichi, Asano Masahide, Tezuka Hideo, Suzuki Noboru, Kurosawa Tsutomu, Shibahara Toshiyuki, Furuya Masato, Mohri Shirou, Sato Hiroshi, Ohsawa Kazutaka, Ibuki Kentaro, Takeda Naokazu
Division for Animal Resources and Development, Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama, Japan.
Exp Anim. 2008 Jul;57(4):367-76. doi: 10.1538/expanim.57.367.
In laboratory animal facilities, monkeys and pigs are used for animal experiments, but the details of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in these animals are unknown. The risk of infection from laboratory animals to humans has become a concern; therefore, much attention should be paid to the handling of these animals during their care and use, including surgical procedures performed on infected animals. In this connection, serum samples collected from 916 monkeys and 77 pigs kept in 23 animal facilities belonging to the Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Facilities of National University Corporations (JALAN) and the Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Facilities of Public and Private Universities (JALAP) in Japan were examined for the purpose of detecting antibodies to HEV and HEV RNA by using ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. One hundred and seven serum samples of 916 (11.7%) monkeys were positive for anti-HEV IgG, and 7 and 17 serum samples of 916 (0.8% and 5.3%) monkeys were positive for anti-HEV IgM and IgA, respectively. Thirty-six samples from 62 (58.1%) farm pigs were positive for anti-HEV IgG, whereas all samples tested from miniature pigs were negative (0/15, 0%). Seven samples from 62 (9.1%) farm pigs and 7 samples from 916 (0.8%) monkeys were positive for IgM antibody, but these HEV-IgM antibody positive serum samples were HEV-RNA negative by RT-PCR. The IgM antibody positive rate (9.1%) of farm pigs was much higher than that of monkeys (0.8%). These results suggest the relative levels of risk of HEV infection from these animals to animal handlers and researchers who work with them in laboratory animal facilities.
在实验动物设施中，猴子和猪被用于动物实验，但这些动物感染戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）的具体情况尚不清楚。实验动物传染给人类的风险已成为一个关注点；因此，在这些动物的饲养和使用过程中，包括对感染动物进行的外科手术，都应格外注意对它们的处理。在此方面，为了分别通过酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）和逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测抗HEV抗体和HEV RNA，对从隶属于日本国立大学法人实验动物设施协会（JALAN）和日本公私大学实验动物设施协会（JALAP）的23个动物设施中饲养的916只猴子和77头猪采集的血清样本进行了检测。916只猴子中有107份血清样本（11.7%）抗HEV IgG呈阳性，916只猴子中分别有7份（0.8%）和17份（5.3%）血清样本抗HEV IgM和IgA呈阳性。62头家猪中有36份样本（58.1%）抗HEV IgG呈阳性，而所有检测的小型猪样本均为阴性（0/15，0%）。62头家猪中有7份样本（9.1%）和916只猴子中有7份样本（0.8%）IgM抗体呈阳性，但这些HEV-IgM抗体阳性血清样本经RT-PCR检测HEV-RNA为阴性。家猪的IgM抗体阳性率（9.1%）远高于猴子（0.8%）。这些结果表明了这些动物对在实验动物设施中与它们一起工作的动物饲养员和研究人员感染HEV的相对风险水平。
