World's first human case of rat hepatitis E found
A Hong Kong man has contracted the rat version of the hepatitis E virus - the world's first ever human case, according to new research from one of the city's leading universities.
There had previously been no evidence the disease could jump from rats to humans, the University of Hong Kong said on Friday, warning that the discovery had "major public health significance".
"This study conclusively proves for the first time in the world that rat HEV can infect humans to cause clinical infection," the university added.
Rat hepatitis E virus (HEV) is very distantly related to human hepatitis E virus variants, the university said. The disease was found in a 56-year-old man who persistently produced abnormal liver function test results following a liver transplant, reports AFP.
