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Serological Evidence for a Hepatitis E Virus‐Related Agent in Goats in the U nited S tates
Author(s) -
Sanford B. J.,
Emerson S. U.,
Purcell R. H.,
Engle R. E.,
Dryman B. A.,
Cecere T. E.,
BuechnerMaxwell V.,
Sponenberg D. P.,
Meng X. J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
transboundary and emerging diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.392
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1865-1682
pISSN - 1865-1674
DOI - 10.1111/tbed.12001
Subject(s) - hepatitis e virus , seroconversion , biology , virology , serology , genotype , herd , zoonosis , caliciviridae , antibody , virus , veterinary medicine , viral disease , immunology , medicine , zoology , biochemistry , gene
Summary Hepatitis E virus ( HEV ) causes an important public health disease in many developing countries and is also endemic in some industrialized countries. In addition to humans, strains of HEV have been genetically identified from pig, chicken, rat, mongoose, deer, rabbit and fish. While the genotypes 1 and 2 HEV are restricted to humans, the genotypes 3 and 4 HEV are zoonotic and infect humans and other animal species. As a part of our ongoing efforts to search for potential animal reservoirs for HEV , we tested goats from V irginia for evidence of HEV infection and showed that 16% (13/80) of goat sera from V irginia herds were positive for I g G anti‐ HEV . Importantly, we demonstrated that neutralizing antibodies to HEV were present in selected I g G anti‐ HEV positive goat sera. Subsequently, in an attempt to genetically identify the HEV ‐related agent from goats, we conducted a prospective study in a closed goat herd with known anti‐ HEV seropositivity and monitored a total of 11 kids from the time of birth until 14 weeks of age for evidence of HEV infection. Seroconversion to I g G anti‐ HEV was detected in seven of the 11 kids, although repeated attempts to detect HEV RNA by a broad‐spectrum nested RT ‐ PCR from the faecal and serum samples of the goats that had seroconverted were unsuccessful. In addition, we also attempted to experimentally infect laboratory goats with three well‐characterized mammalian strains of HEV but with no success. The results indicate that a HEV ‐related agent is circulating and maintained in the goat population in V irginia and that the goat HEV is likely genetically very divergent from the known HEV strains.