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Serological evidence of infection with hepatitis E virus among wild Yezo‐deer, Cervus nippon yesoensis, in Hokkaido, Japan

Summary.  In this study, 520 serum samples from Yezo‐deer in the Hidaka district, Hokkaido, Japan were examined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to investigate whether the animals were infected with hepatitis E virus (HEV). The distribution of optical density values showed a bimodal pattern and 181 samples (34.8%) were deemed to be antibody‐positive against HEV. At least five (2.8%) of the positive sera gave specific bands by Western blot analysis. An age‐dependent increase in prevalence of the antibodies was found among the animals. These findings indicate that Yezo‐deer are a possible host for HEV infection. To avoid the risk of becoming HEV infected, the consumption of raw Yezo‐deer meat must be prohibited.