Hepatitis E Virus Outbreak in Monkey Facility, Japan - - Emerging Infectious Disease journal - CDC

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Hepatitis E Virus Outbreak in Monkey Facility, Japan - - Emerging Infectious Disease journal - CDC

Hepatitis E Virus Outbreak in Monkey Facility, Japan

Article Contents

• The Study
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgments
• References
• Figure 1
• Figure 2
• Table 1
• Table 2
• Technical Appendix  [143 KB - 3 pages]
• Suggested Citation

Hiroshi Yamamoto, Juri Suzuki, Atsushi Matsuda, Takafumi Ishida, Yasushi Ami, Yuriko Suzaki, Isao Adachi, Takaji Wakita, Naokazu Takeda, and Tian-Cheng Li 

Author affiliations: Author affiliations: University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan (H. Yamamoto, I. Adachi); Kyoto University, Aichi, Japan (J. Suzuki); University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan (A. Matsuda, T. Ishida); National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo (Y. Ami, Y. Suzaki, T. Wakita, T.-C. Li); Osaka University, Osaka, Japan (N. Takeda)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract

An outbreak of hepatitis E virus occurred in an outdoor monkey breeding facility in Japan during 2004–2006. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that this virus was genotype 3. This virus was experimentally transmitted to a cynomolgus monkey. Precautions should be taken by facility personnel who work with monkeys to prevent infection.

Wild or reared monkeys have been used as disease models in animal facilities worldwide. Because disease caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonosis (1–4), monkeys might be infected. We examined the prevalence of antibodies against HEV in serum and fecal samples collected from monkeys in animal facilities at the Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University in Japan for 6 years (2004–2009). We found that spontaneous infection and transmission of HEV occurred in a monkey facility.