Genetic identification and characterization of a novel virus related to human hepatitis E virus from chickens with hepatitis–splenomegaly syndrome in the United States

Abstract

Hepatitis-splenomegaly (HS) syndrome is an emerging disease in chickens in North America ; the cause of this disease is unknown. In this study, the genetic identification and characterization of a novel virus related to human hepatitis E virus (HEV) isolated from bile samples of chickens with HS syndrome is reported. Based upon the similar genomic organization and significant sequence identity of this virus with HEV, the virus has been tentatively named avian HEV in order to distinguish it from human and swine HEV. Electron microscopy revealed that avian HEV is a non-

The Leu477 and Leu613 of ORF2-Encoded Protein Are Critical in Forming Neutralization Antigenic Epitope of Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 4

“…Alignment analysis showed that the amino acid residues at the corresponding positions of Leu477 and Leu613 were highly conserved among the 71 HEV ORF2 encoded protein sequences, although they were classified into 4 different HEV genotypes and were derived from HEV strains isolated from different species including human, swine, and some wild animals (data not shown). The Leu477 and Leu613 appeared highly conservative even in the avian HEV ORF2 encoded protein, which shares only 48-49% amino acid sequence identities with other known HEV strains (37). This remarkable conservation implied that Leu477 and Leu613 might play key roles in the formation of the neutralization epitope among different HEV isolates and support the observation that HEV only has one serotype (38,39).…”

Hepatitis E: Epidemiology and Natural History

“…22 These isolates of HEV are genetically more divergent than the mammalian HEV isolates, appear incapable of transmission to mammals, and are placed in a separate genus named as 'avian HEV'. 18 More recently, genomic sequences resembling HEV have also been reported in a virus cultured from cutthroat trout, a species of freshwater fish.…”

Hepatitis-E-Virus

“…HEV wurde bei Hühnern mit Hepatitis-Splenomegalie-Syndrom in Australien und den USA beschrieben [140,141]. Durch genetische und serologische Untersuchungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass aviäre HEV (aHEV) mit humanen HEV verwandt sind.…”