[Development of a multiplex technique for detecting simultaneously HAV RNA and HEV RNA]

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is more and more frequently incriminated in hepatitis episodes. In non-endemic regions, it is clear now that this infection is autochthonous, and certainly a zoonosis and thus, that this virus must not only be assessed in hepatitis cases among travellers in endemic regions. In parallel, in endemic region, where HEV, like HAV, is mainly water-transmitted, important outbreaks still occur. This article describes the development and validation of a new molecular technique for detecting simultaneously HAV RNA and HEV RNA and its evaluation on clinical specimen.