Avian Hepatitis E Virus from Chickens, China | CDC EID

EID Journal Home > Volume 16, Number 9–September-2010/2010

Volume 16, Number 9–September 2010
Dispatch
Analysis of Avian Hepatitis E Virus from Chickens, China
Qin Zhao, En Min Zhou ,1 Shi Wei Dong, Hong Kai Qiu, Lu Zhang, Shou Bin Hu, Fei Fei Zhao, Shi Jin Jiang, and Ya Ni Sun
Author affiliation: Shandong Agricultural University, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
Avian hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been identified in chickens; however, only 4 complete or near-complete genomic sequences have been reported. We found that the near-complete genomic sequence of avian HEV in chickens from China shared the highest identity (98.3%) with avian HEV from Europe and belonged to avian HEV genotype 3.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a nonenveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. It has 3 open reading frames (ORFs) and a genome size of 7.2 kb (1). So far, HEV strains are classified into 4 major genotypes, and genotypes 3 and 4 are probably zoonotic.

Avian HEVs have been identified from chickens with big liver syndrome and hepatitis–splenomegaly syndrome. Each syndrome mainly causes increased deaths, reduced egg production, and enlarged liver and spleen (2); hepatitis–splenomegaly syndrome also causes accumulation of bloody fluid in the abdomen and vasculitis and amyloidosis in the liver (3,4). Molecular epidemiologic investigations have shown that avian HEV infection in chickens is endemic to the United States and Spain (5,6). Because propagating avian HEV in cell culture or embryonated eggs is difficult (2,3), avian HEV is primarily detected by reverse transcription–PCR (RT-PCR). However, only 4 complete or near-complete genomic sequences have been reported to GenBank (7–9). We identified and analyzed the near-complete genomic sequence of avian HEV in a chicken flock from the People’s Republic of China.

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Suggested Citation for this Article
Zhao Q, Zhou EM, Dong SW, Qiu HK, Zhang L, Hu SB, et al. Analysis of avian hepatitis E virus from chickens, China. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2010 Sep [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/9/1469.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1609.100626

Current affiliation: Northwest A&F University, Yangling, People’s Republic of China.