Molecular Epidemiological Investigation of Hepatitis E Virus in Rattus norvegicus in Dali, Yunnan

Abstract

目的：了解云南省大理州捕获的褐家鼠中戊型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis E Virus, HEV)感染流行率。方法：采用逆转录巢式聚合酶链反应(RT-nested PCR)技术及组织病理学观察(H.E.)，对大理州55份褐家鼠组织样品进行检测。结果：本次实验检测55份褐家鼠组织样品，其中肝脏中HEV阳性率为18.1% (10/55)，肾脏中HEV阳性率为10.9% (6/55)，且均无性别差异。组织病理学观察发现HEV感染会引起鼠组织损伤。结论：云南省大理州褐家鼠中存在戊型肝炎病毒感染，这将有利于中国戊型肝炎病毒的了解与防治。 Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) infection in Rattus norvegicus captured from Dali prefecture, Yunnan province. Methods: 55 samples of Rattus norvegicus from Dali city were tested by Reverse Transcription nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-nPCR) and Histopathological observation (H.E.). Results: Fifty-five Rattus norvegicus tissue samples were tested in this study, among which the HEV positive rate in the liver was 18.1% (10/55) and the HEV positive rate in the kidney was 10.9% (6/55). Histopathological observations showed that HEV infection caused tissue damage in mice. Conclusion: There is hepatitis E virus infection in Rattus norvegicus in Dali prefecture of Yunnan province, which is beneficial to the understanding and prevention of hepatitis E virus in China.