Hepatitis E Virus in the Role of an Emerging Food-Borne Pathogen

Viral hepatitis E represents an important global health problem caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). Cases of HEV infection are increasingly associated with food-borne transmissions after the consumption of raw or undercooked food products from infected animals in high-income regions. Although most cases of infection are asymptomatic, severe courses of infection have been reported in specific groups of people, predominantly among pregnant women and immunocompromised patients. The viral nucleic acid of HEV is increasingly being reported in food-producing animals and different products of an animal origin. Even though the incubation period for HEV infection is long, several direct epidemiological links between human cases and the consumption of HEV-contaminated meat and meat products have been described. In this article, we review the current knowledge on human HEV infections, HEV in different food-producing animals and products of an animal origin, as well as the accumulation and resistance to HEV in farm and slaughterhouse environments. We also provide preventive measures to help eliminate HEV from animals, the human population, and the environment.