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Review
. 2021 Jun;13(2):127-145.
doi: 10.1007/s12560-021-09461-5. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

The Foodborne Transmission of Hepatitis E Virus to Humans

Samantha Treagus  1   2 , Conal Wright  3 , Craig Baker-Austin  4 , Ben Longdon  5 , James Lowther  4
Affiliations
Review

The Foodborne Transmission of Hepatitis E Virus to Humans

Samantha Treagus et al. Food Environ Virol. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Globally, Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes over 20 million cases worldwide. HEV is an emerging and endemic pathogen within economically developed countries, chiefly resulting from infections with genotype 3 (G3) HEV. G3 HEV is known to be a zoonotic pathogen, with a broad host range. The primary source of HEV within more economically developed countries is considered to be pigs, and consumption of pork products is a significant risk factor and known transmission route for the virus to humans. However, other foods have also been implicated in the transmission of HEV to humans. This review consolidates the information available regarding transmission of HEV and looks to identify gaps where further research is required to better understand how HEV is transmitted to humans through food.

Keywords: Foodborne; Hepatitis E virus; Meat; Shellfish; Transmission; Zoonotic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The geographical distribution of HEV genotypes 1–4. This figure shows the genotypes of HEV which are endemic to each country, where enough data were available. For graphs which are compatible with the conditions protanopia, deuteranopia and achromatopsia please see online resources 1 and 2. Maps created in ArcMap using the World Countries (generalised) layer package by esri_dm and visualised in GIMP
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Theoretical and confirmed transmission routes of HEV. The figure shows confirmed and theoretical routes of HEV transmission to humans. The theoretical routes of transmission include HEV infections contracted from the consumption of shellfish, sheep, and cows, as well as crops and drinking water, as no confirmed outbreaks from these sources have yet been identified. Illustration created using Adobe Illustrator and edited using GIMP
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
A summary of the reported thermal inactivation requirements for HEV from different studies. This graph summarises the observed HEV inactivation requirements for five different studies investigating the effect of heat treatment over time on HEV viability, with the highest reported inactivation requirements being 70 °C for 10 min, and the lowest being 56 °C for 30 min. Graph created in R studio
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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