Hepatitis E virus (HEV)
HEV, the causative agent of human hepatitis E, belongs to the genus Hepevirus, family Hepeviridae. Hepatitis E is an important public health disease in many developing countries, and sporadic cases of hepatitis E have also been reported in industrialized countries including the United States. A vaccine against HEV is not yet available. In 1997, our group discovered and characterized the first animal strain of HEV, swine HEV, from a pig in the United States. We showed that swine HEV can cross species barriers and infect non-human primates. In 2001, our group discovered yet another animal strain of HEV, avian HEV, from chickens with Hepatitis-Splenomegaly syndrome in the United States. Avian HEV can also cross species barriers and infect turkeys. Hepatitis E is now a recognized zoonotic disease and pigs (and maybe other animal species) are reservoirs. Currently, our research efforts focus on the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and replication, cross-species infection and zoonosis, natural history, and vaccine development. We are now studying the structural and functional relationship of HEV genes, and understanding the molecular mechanism of HEV cross species infection by using various HEV reverse genetic systems and chimeric viruses among human, swine and avian HEVs and by using swine and chickens as animal model systems.
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