Discovered the world's first case of human transmitted rat disease

Rat version of hepatitis E was first transferred to humans

When animals transmit their diseases to humans, it can lead to a major health hazard with dramatic consequences. This is exactly what happened in Hong Kong now. A rat version of hepatitis E was first transmitted to a human. This transmission is of great importance to public health.

Researchers are now reporting for the first time a case in which a rat version of hepatitis E has been transmitted to a human. The doctors will publish the report on this unusual case in December in the English-language journal "Emerging Infectious Diseases".

A man in Hong Kong was infected with a rat version of hepatitis E for the first time worldwide. (Image: kichigin19 / fotolia.com)

Hepatitis E of rats can also infect humans

So far, there has been no evidence that the disease can be transmitted from rats to humans, and the current finding is therefore of great importance to public health, the University of Hong Kong experts report in the "South China Morning Post" , The current study proves, for the first time in the world, that hepatitis E in rats infects humans and can cause a clinical infection there, the experts add.

56-year-old man became infected

The disease was diagnosed in a 56-year-old male with recurrent abnormal liver function tests after liver transplantation. The patient was being treated with immunosuppressants because of the surgery. The tests indicated problems with his liver transplant.

There were signs of rat infestation in the man's environment

There were several signs of rat infestation outside the patient's home. The physicians suspect that the person may have been infected by the disease because they were consuming foods that were contaminated with rat droppings. The exact route of the transfer is still unclear. Testings of rodent faeces, swab specimens from the drain and bottom of the waste collection room and even surrounding rats were tested negative for rat hepatitis E. However, it was found that frozen rat samples collected by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Authorities in the district back in 2012 contained the virus.

Patients are treated with ribavirin

The patient is now on the road to recovery after being treated for the virus with an oral medication called ribavirin.

How do people normally get infected with hepatitis E.?

The rat hepatitis E virus is very distantly related to human hepatitis E virus variants, the researchers explain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the human version of hepatitis E is a liver disease that affects 20 million people worldwide each year. Normally, the disease is spread by contaminated drinking water. It is known that the hepatitis E virus is transmitted via food or water contaminated by fecal matter containing the pathogens. It is also possible to get the virus by eating uncooked meat from infected animals and blood transfusions from infected donors. The symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting and jaundice, and in rare cases, acute liver failure and even death.

Hong Kong suffers from a rat plague

In recent months, the problems with rodents in Hong Kong have really escalated. Rodent officials have reported double-digit growth in demand for their services in recent months. This is due to the persistent hot and humid weather, explain the experts. In the past year, the so-called rodent infestation rate for the entire city of June to December was 3.5 percent, compared to 4 percent in the same period last year. However, officials admitted that the numbers do not fully reflect the situation in individual districts. (As)