For the first time ever, rat hepatitis has infected a human being.
This case has reignited the long-standing questions surrounding rats, humans,
and the hepatitis E virus.
Last Friday, on September 28, researchers at the University of Hong Kong
revealed that a 56-year-old-man had contracted a strain of hepatitis E
previously thought to only infect rats, according to ARS Technica. Hepatitis E viruses,
generally, cause liver inflammation in humans that is usually self-limiting
but can become severe or even fatal to some, including organ transplant
patients and pregnant women.
The hepatitis E virus spreads through fecal matter (poop). You can also
catch it if you drink or eat something that has been in contact with the
stool of someone who has the virus. Hepatitis E is more common in parts of
the world with poor handwashing habits and lack of
clean water, according to WebMD. The virus occurs much less
often in the U.S., where water and sewage plants kill it before it
gets into the drinking supply. You also can contract hepatitis E if you eat
undercooked meat from infected animals, such as pigs or deer. Less often, you
can get the virus from raw shellfish that comes from tainted water.
Researchers have documented that human versions of this virus cause
outbreaks of acute liver inflammation in developing countries, typically in
cases where fecal contamination seeps into water sources. The human viruses
cause an estimated 20 million infections a year around the world, leading
to tens of thousands of deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
In the case of hepatitis E jumping from a rat to a human, the case
revealed by the University of Hong Kong appears to be the first of its
kind. Researchers spotted the man’s infection back in September of last
year after he had undergone a liver transplant in May. They reported that the
man’s infection was treated and cleared by March of this year, after which
they verified the presence of the unexpected virus and made attempts to track
down its source.
In the course of their work, the researchers ruled out the possibility
that the man was infected from his organ or blood donors. Instead, the
researchers noted evidence of a rodent infestation near the man’s home with
noticeable collections of droppings by a next-door garbage chute. Testing of
at least one rat collected in the neighborhood in recent years had turned up
positive for rat hepatitis E, the researchers reported.
Infectious disease expert and microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung, of the
University of Hong Kong, described the case “a wake-up call” in a press conference. He said some of
the city’s rats had become larger than cats and urged officials to improve
sanitation to avert public health risks from the menacing rodents. –ARS Technica
According to hepatitis E expert X.J. Meng of the VA-MD College of
Veterinary Medicine, there is no need to be concerned just yet. “This
has never happened before,” Meng noted of the virus jumping from a rat to a
human. It’s “unprecedented” he went on to say in an interview with Ars Technica. “Regardless,
I do not personally think this [case] is a major public health issue.”
Meng believes the man who became infected with hepatitis E from a rat had a
suppressed immune system due to his liver transplant and the body attempting
to accept the new organ.
The case does, however, highlight the mystery surrounding the little-known
form of the virus. In a 2016 article, Meng noted that humans simply don’t
know enough about hepatitis E viruses to figure out what’s could be going on.
