DNA of HEV in pig similar to patient's.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri)

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) found in a pig on a pig farm in Tochigi Prefecture was discovered to have very similar DNA to the virus found in a hepatitis E patient in Tokyo, sources said on Sunday.

This is the first time an animal raised in Japan was found to have the virus, which can be spread to humans by animals.

Sources say this discovery substantiates the theory that the spread of HEV in Japan is expanding.

Researchers have said it is necessary to extensively study the spread of the virus among animals, noting that HEV in their feces may be a source of HEV infection in humans.

The HEV …