Hepatitis E Virus: An Emerging Zoonotic and Foodborne Pathogen

Hepatitis E (HEV) is a viral infectious disease that infects humans and domestic, wild, and synanthropic animals alike. In developing countries, the disease often presents as an epidemic, transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route. In recent years, sporadic cases have also been documented in industrial countries, including Europe.
• The identification and characterization of animal strains of HEV from pigs, wild boar, and deer, and the demonstrated ability of cross-species infection by these animal strains raise potential public health concerns for foodborne and zoonotic transmission of the virus. This Brief will provide a thorough overview of HEV. It will discuss the epidemiology and pathogenesis of the virus in both humans and animals, review detection methods, and provide methods for its control and prevention.