Serological Evidence for Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Laboratory Monkeys and Pigs in Animal Facilities in Japan

• YAMAMOTO Hiroshi

  Division for Animal Resources and Development, Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama

• LI Tian-Cheng

  Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases

• KOSHIMOTO Chihiro

  Frontier Science Research Center, Bio-resource Division, University of Miyazaki

• ITO Kaori

  Division for Animal Resources and Development, Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama

• KITA Masakazu

  Department of Microbiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

• MIYASHITA Nobumoto

  Division of Animal Experimentation, Life Science Research Center, Kagawa University

• ARIKAWA Jiro

  Institute for Animal Experimentation, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine

• YAGAMI Kenichi

  Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Tsukuba University

• ASANO Masahide

  Division of Transgenic Animal Science, Advanced Science Research Center, Kanazawa University

• TEZUKA Hideo

  Center for Life Science Research, Laboratory Animal Support Section, Yamanashi University

• SUZUKI Noboru

  Frontier Science Research Center, Kagoshima University

• KUROSAWA Tsutomu

  Institute of Experimental Animal Sciences, Osaka University Medical School

• SHIBAHARA Toshiyuki

  Division of Laboratory Animal Science, Research Center for Bioscience and Technology, Tottori University

• FURUYA Masato

  Division of Laboratory Animal Science, Section of Life Science and Bio Functional Materials, Science Research Center, Kochi University

• MOHRI Shirou

  Center of Biomedical Research, Facility of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University

• SATO Hiroshi

  Division of Comparative Medicine, Center for Frontier Life Sciences, Nagasaki University

• OHSAWA Kazutaka

  Division of Comparative Medicine, Center for Frontier Life Sciences, Nagasaki University

• IBUKI Kentaro

  Experimental Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University

• TAKEDA Naokazu

  Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases

Abstract

In laboratory animal facilities, monkeys and pigs are used for animal experiments, but the details of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in these animals are unknown. The risk of infection from laboratory animals to humans has become a concern; therefore, much attention should be paid to the handling of these animals during their care and use, including surgical procedures performed on infected animals. In this connection, serum samples collected from 916 monkeys and 77 pigs kept in 23 animal facilities belonging to the Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Facilities of National University Corporations (JALAN) and the Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Facilities of Public and Private Universities (JALAP) in Japan were examined for the purpose of detecting antibodies to HEV and HEV RNA by using ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. One hundred and seven serum samples of 916 (11.7%) monkeys were positive for anti-HEV IgG, and 7 and 17 serum samples of 916 (0.8% and 5.3%) monkeys were positive for anti-HEV IgM and IgA, respectively. Thirty-six samples from 62 (58.1%) farm pigs were positive for anti-HEV IgG, whereas all samples tested from miniature pigs were negative (0/15, 0%). Seven samples from 62 (9.1%) farm pigs and 7 samples from 916 (0.8%) monkeys were positive for IgM antibody, but these HEV-IgM antibody positive serum samples were HEV-RNA negative by RT-PCR. The IgM antibody positive rate (9.1%) of farm pigs was much higher than that of monkeys (0.8%). These results suggest the relative levels of risk of HEV infection from these animals to animal handlers and researchers who work with them in laboratory animal facilities.<br>

Journal

• Experimental Animals

  Experimental Animals 57 (4), 367-376, 2008

  Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science

Keywords

• anti-HEV antibodies
• experimental animals
• hepatitis E virus
• monkeys
• pigs

Details

• CRID: 1390282680020779136
• NII Article ID: 130000067977
• NII Article ID: 10024166469
• NII Book ID: AA11032321
• DOI: 10.1538/expanim.57.367
• ISSN: 18817122
• ISSN: 00075124
• ISSN: 13411357
• NDL BIB ID: 9566050
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I9566050
• Web Site: http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/expanim/57/4/57_4_367/_pdf
• Web Site: https://search.jamas.or.jp/link/ui/2009001462
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed