[The possible involvement of rodents in the spread of viral hepatitis E]

The outbreak of hepatitis E among humans in July-October 1989 in the village of Dzhigdele (140 km to the northeast of Osh) is described. During this outbreak 23 rodents of different species (4 Turkestan rats, 15 house mice and 4 wood mice) were caught within a radial distance of 1 km from the village. 5 out of these 23 animals were found to have hepatitis E virus, detected by the method of immuno-electron microscopy, in their blood sera. Under experimental conditions 7 noninbred white mice were inoculated with material obtained from a previously infected Javanese macaque and a hepatitis E patient. The use of immunoelectron microscopy made it possible to reveal the excretion of the virus with feces on days 4 to 19-23 after inoculation and the development of specific seroconversion in all 7 infected animals. On the basis of these data a suggestion was made that rodents probably played a certain role in the process of the spread of viral hepatitis E.