Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.
Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
J Vet Med Sci. 2022 Jul 10;84(7):992-1000. doi: 10.1292/jvms.22-0237. Epub 2022 Jun 7.
In Japan, hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes hepatitis in humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, including game meat. In the present study, nationwide surveillance of HEV infection among a total of 5,557 wild animals, including 15 species, was conducted in Japan. The prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in wild boar was 12.4%, with higher positive rates in big boars (over 50 kg, 18.4%) than in small individuals (less than 30 kg, 5.3%). Furthermore, HEV RNA was more frequently detected in piglets than in older boars. Interestingly, the detection of HEV among wildlife by ELISA and RT-PCR suggested that HEV infection in Sika deer was a very rare event, and that there was no HEV infection among wild animals except for wild boar, Sika deer and Japanese monkeys. In conclusion, wild boar, especially piglets, are at high risk of HEV infection, while other wild animals showed less risk or no risk of HEV transmission.
在日本，人类通过食用生的或未煮熟的肉，包括野味，感染戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）。本研究对日本共 15 个物种的 5557 只野生动物进行了 HEV 感染的全国性监测。野猪的抗-HEV 抗体阳性率为 12.4%，大野猪（体重超过 50 公斤，18.4%）的阳性率高于小野猪（体重小于 30 公斤，5.3%）。此外，仔猪中 HEV RNA 的检出率高于成年野猪。有趣的是，ELISA 和 RT-PCR 检测野生动物中的 HEV 表明，梅花鹿中的 HEV 感染非常罕见，除野猪、梅花鹿和日本猕猴外，其他野生动物均无 HEV 感染。综上所述，野猪，特别是仔猪，存在较高的 HEV 感染风险，而其他野生动物的 HEV 传播风险较低或无风险。
