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Hepatitis A virus strains identified in jogaejeot associated with outbreaks in Seoul, South Korea
Author(s) -
Jeong H.W.,
Kim M.K.,
Yi H.J.,
Kim D.M.,
Jeon S.J.,
Lee H.K.,
Oh Y.H.,
Hwang Y.O.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/lam.13482
Subject(s) - outbreak , hepatitis a virus , biology , hepatitis a , shellfish , virology , genotype , virus , hepatitis , gene , fishery , genetics , fish <actinopterygii> , aquatic animal
Abstract Jogaejeot, seasoned Venerupis philippinarum , is a traditional Korean fermented food, and hepatitis A virus (HAV) can be transmitted through contaminated food, especially bivalve shellfish, causing acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Here, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis to identify and characterize HAV strains in jogaejeot samples associated with hepatitis A (HA) outbreaks in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019. The HAV strains were identified using blast and molecular analysis of the amplified HAV VP1‐P2B genome region. The HAV strains identified in the five jogaejeot samples shared at least 99% sequence identity, were all classified as genotype IA and were most closely related to strains that are widespread in East Asia. These results support a link between the consumption of jogaejeot and the HA outbreaks observed in 2019 in Seoul. In addition, they indicate a need for more stringent enforcement of food safety regulations for the shellfish industry, especially against HAV, and the value of widespread vaccination.