• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.26-26
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• 2003

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been recognized as a major cause of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis in many developing countries. The taxonomy of HEV is not clear and the virus remains unclassified. The objective of this study was to optimize conditions and procedures to detect swine HEV in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues by nested RT-PCR and compare this detection method with in situ hybridization. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.28-28
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• 2003

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), previously referred to as enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis, is responsible for sporadic infections as well as large epidemics of acute viral hepatitis in developing countries. The disease generally affects young adults and reportedly has a mortality rate of up to 20％ in infected pregnant women. HEV was once considered to be a member of the family Caliciviridae, but the unique genomic organization of HEV has led to the removal of HEV from the family and it was provisionally classified in an unassigned family of HEV-like viruses. In situ hybridization provides any cellular detail and histological architecture.[1] However, use of in situ hybridization is largely restricted to the laboratories because this technique is the greater technical complexity and expense compared with immunohistochemistry. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop the immunohistochemistry for the detection of swine HEV from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded hepatic tissues. (omitted)

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.638-642
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• 2012

Human pathogenic viruses such as hepatitis A and E virus (HAV and HEV), which lead to acute liver failure and death, are foodborne pathogens associated with the consumption of virus-contaminated meats, filter-feeding bivalves, fruits, and salads. Two of the three swine farms examined in this study had HAV and HEV positive stool samples in a nested RT-PCR assay. The use of the immunomagnetic separation (IMS) facilitated the separation of HAV through interactions between the ligand on the virion surface and the antibody from the swine feces containing both HAV and HEV. The nested RT-PCR analysis was performed for the detection of HAV obtained from hepatocarcinoma cell line (PLC/PRF/5) contaminated with eluent fraction of IMS. This indicated that IMS has the potential to simultaneously isolate and concentrate target viruses by changing antibodies linked on the magnetic beads.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2020

The zoonotic transmission of viral diseases to humans is a serious public health concern. Pigs are frequently a major reservoir for several zoonotic viral diseases. Therefore, periodic surveillance is needed to determine the infection rates of zoonotic diseases in domestic pigs. Hepatitis E virus (HEV), rotavirus, sapovirus (SaV), and norovirus (NoV) are potential zoonotic viruses. In this study, 296 fecal samples were collected from weaned piglets and growing pigs in 13 swine farms, and the viral RNA was extracted. Partial viral genomes were amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or nested-PCR using virus-specific primer sets under different PCR conditions. HEV-3, rotavirus A, and SaV genogoup 3 were detected from 11.5, 2.7, and 3.0% of the samples, respectively. On the other hand, NoV was not detected in any of the samples. Genetic analysis indicated that the nucleotide sequences of swine HEV-3 and rotavirus A detected in this study were closely related to those of human isolates. However, swine SaV was distant from the human strains. These results suggest that HEV-3 and rotavirus A can be transmitted from pigs to humans. Therefore, strict preventive measures should be implemented by workers in the swine industry to prevent infections with HEV-3 and rotavirus A excreted from pigs.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.33.1-33.10
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• 2022

Background: Endemic circulation of human-specific hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 1 and 2 may occult the importance of sporadic zoonotic HEV transmissions in Africa. Increasing numbers of studies reporting anti-HEV antibodies in cattle and the discovery of infectious HEV in cow milk has raised public health concern, but cattle exposure has seldom been investigated in Africa. Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the role of cows in the epidemiology of HEV in Burkina Faso and farmers habits in terms of dairy product consumption as a prerequisite to estimate the risk of transmission to humans. Methods: Sera from 475 cattle and 192 pigs were screened for the presence of anti-HEV antibodies while HEV RNA in swine stools was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Data on mixed farming, dairy product consumption and selling habits were gathered through questionnaires. Results: The overall seroprevalence in cattle was 5.1% and herd seroprevalence reached 32.4% (11/34). Herd seropositivity was not associated with husbandry practice or presence of rabbits on the farms. However, herd seropositivity was associated with on-site presence of pigs, 80.7% of which had anti-HEV antibodies. The majority of farmers reported to preferentially consume raw milk based dairy products. Conclusions: Concomitant presence of pigs on cattle farms constitutes a risk factor for HEV exposure of cattle. However, the risk of HEV infections associated with raw cow dairy product consumption is currently considered as low.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2009

The prevalence of potentially xenozoonotic viruses in the reproductive tract of female pigs in Korea was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These viruses include porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), swine hepatitis E virus (SHEV), porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus (PLHV), and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2). Histopathological examination and PCR analysis were conducted using the ovaries of 70 slaughtered pigs that were collected from 14 farms in Jeju. Histopathologically, infiltrations of mononuclear inflammatory cells around the thick-walled coiled vessels in the ovarian medulla were observed in 15 cases. Based on the PCR method, PERV, PLHV, PRRSV, SHEV, and PCV-2 were detected in 69 (98.6%), 35 (50%), 5 (7.1%), 4 (5.7%), and 1 sample (1.4%), respectively. These results suggest that PERV and PLHV are the major xenozoonotic viruses in the porcine ovary. This study should aid in the development of a monitoring protocol for potential xenozoonotic agents and in the production of germ-free pigs for xenotransplantation.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.383-397
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• 2012

The incidence of zoonoses in Korea has recently increased. But the study for high risk group such as pig farmers to zoonoses has not been conducted in Korea. Thus we reviewed the articles in order to obtain basic data for zoonoses among pig farmers, especially in rural communities. Pigs are one of the most important domestic livestock in Korea not only from economic standpoint but also from standpoint of food. Pigs also represent a potential reservoir for many novel pathogens, therefore may transmit these to humans via direct contact, vectors such as mosquitos, or contaminated meat. The zoonoses associated with pigs can be classified into bacterial pathogen, viruses and so on. Bacterial zoonoses include brucellosis, leptospirosis, listeriosis, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection, pasteurellosis, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, tuberculosis, anthrax, necrobacillosis, swine erysipelas, erysipeloid, melioidosis, Streptococcus suis infection, Clostrium difficile infection, and campylobactor infection. Viral zoonoses consist of Japanese encephalitis, swine influenza, Nipah virus, Reston ebolavirus, and hepatitis E virus infection. Other type of zoonoses include actinomycosis, toxoplasmosis and Taenia solium infection. These zoonoses were important in Korean health policy but lately they have been overlooked. For effective health policy, we need to study zoonoses associated with pigs, and clinicians and veterinarians must care deeply about these zoonoses.