{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T20:07:32Z","timestamp":1791662852959,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":90,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]],"date-time":"2026-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780012800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100009619","name":"Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["JP25fk0210132"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JP25fk0210132"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100009619","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100009619","name":"Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["JP26fk0210198"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JP26fk0210198"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100009619","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["JP25fk0210132"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JP25fk0210132"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/004rtk039","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["JP26fk0210198"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JP26fk0210198"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/004rtk039","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major zoonotic pathogen, with pigs serving as the principal animal reservoir. While consumption of raw or undercooked pig liver is a well-recognized risk factor, systematic data on HEV contamination in retail pork meat remain limited. In this study, 1546 retail pork samples collected from eight geographic regions across Japan were analyzed for HEV RNA using a validated nested RT-PCR method. Analytical sensitivity was determined using the World Health Organization (WHO) International Standard for HEV RNA, yielding a 95% limit of detection (LOD95) of 134 IU\/g (95% CI: 105\u2013193). Overall, 15 samples (1.0%) tested positive for HEV RNA, with no significant regional variation (0.4\u20131.8%; p = 0.8375) or difference between domestically produced (1.0%, 12\/1260) and imported pork (1.0%, 3\/286; p = 0.7478). Viral loads in quantifiable samples (n = 11) ranged from 9.3 \u00d7 102 to 1.0 \u00d7 105 IU\/g. Genotyping based on partial ORF2 sequences revealed subtype 3b as predominant (n = 7), followed by 3a (n = 5), 3f (n = 2), and 4c (n = 1). Each of the 15 strains showed high nucleotide sequence identity (98.8\u2013100%) to its closest reported Japanese strain(s). Phylogenetic analysis showed that all strains clustered with their closest reported HEV strains, with high bootstrap support, despite genetic diversity within subtypes. These findings demonstrate that retail pork meat in Japan is contaminated with HEV RNA and may represent a potential source of human exposure. However, whether HEV RNA-positive retail pork meat contains infectious virus capable of causing human infection remains to be determined.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18060621","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T06:17:31Z","timestamp":1780467451000},"page":"621","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Nationwide Detection and Molecular Characterization of Hepatitis E Virus RNA in Retail Pork Meat in Japan"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6888-9318","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Masaharu","family":"Takahashi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manri","family":"Kawakami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Hepatology, Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital, Okayama 700-8511, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yukihiro","family":"Sato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Kamiichi General Hospital, Nakaniikawa-gun 930-0391, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2682-3809","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tatsunori","family":"Nakano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Fujita Health University Nanakuri Memorial Hospital, Tsu 514-1295, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1171-7835","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jun","family":"Inoue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Junichi","family":"Koyama","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Kin-Ikyo Chuo Hospital, Sapporo 007-8505, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hitoshi","family":"Mizuo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hokkaido Medical Checkup and Internal Medicine Clinic, Sapporo 060-0032, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8668-6378","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomoya","family":"Koda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kamikatsu Town Clinic, Katsuura-gun 771-4505, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kazumi","family":"Yamasaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Research Center, NHO Nagasaki Medical Center, Omura 856-8562, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hiroshi","family":"Okano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Suzuka General Hospital, Suzuka 513-8630, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Akio","family":"Miyasaka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Shiwa-gun 028-3694, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5449-6553","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shunji","family":"Watanabe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Norio","family":"Isoda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tomofumi","family":"Takagi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"JCHO Sapporo Hokushin Hospital, Sapporo 004-8618, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7890-2387","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shinji","family":"Fujiwara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mima Municipal Koyadaira Clinic, Mima 777-0302, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0247-5440","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hiroshi","family":"Ohnishi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7401-979X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Putu Prathiwi","family":"Primadharsini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8944-713X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shigeo","family":"Nagashima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3419-6297","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kazumoto","family":"Murata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0827-0964","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hiroaki","family":"Okamoto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Virology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke 329-0498, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2025). 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