Shao Zhong-jun, Li Jing-hua, Zheng Ying-jie, Zhang Jing-xia, Ma Yong-hong, Ma Wen-tao, Jiang Qing-wu, Dang Rong-li
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, People's Republic of China.
J Clin Microbiol. 2009 Mar;47(3):814-6. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01309-08. Epub 2008 Dec 24.
Hepatitis E has been hypothesized as a zoonosis. However, there is no definite conclusion about which animal species contribute to hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in humans. In this study, HEV RNA was detected only in swine bile specimens and not in bile specimens collected from cattle, goats, or dogs. We postulate that swine are the main animal reservoir for HEV.