Autochthonous Hepatitis E Infection in a Slaughterhouse Worker

Maria Teresa Pérez-Gracia Departamento de Atención Sanitaria, Salud Pública y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Servicio Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

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Maria Luisa Mateos Departamento de Atención Sanitaria, Salud Pública y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Servicio Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

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Carolina Galiana Departamento de Atención Sanitaria, Salud Pública y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Servicio Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

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Salceda Fernández-Barredo Departamento de Atención Sanitaria, Salud Pública y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Servicio Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

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Angel García Departamento de Atención Sanitaria, Salud Pública y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Servicio Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

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Maria Teresa Gómez Departamento de Atención Sanitaria, Salud Pública y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Servicio Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

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Victor Moreira Departamento de Atención Sanitaria, Salud Pública y Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Servicio Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain; Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

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We report the first hepatitis E infection case detected in a slaughterhouse worker. The identified strain belonged to genotype 3, subtype 3f. Partial sequence analysis of the strain isolated from his serum showed a percentage of nucleotide homology ranging from 83.4% up to 97.3% compared with European human and swine strains, respectively. These findings point strongly to hepatitis E virus as a vocationally acquired illness by means of the manipulation of infected organs from pigs.

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