Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major zoonotic pathogen that causes acute viral hepatitis worldwide. HEV has high genetic diversity, and the incidence of various genotypes or subtypes is strongly correlated with host species, geographic location, and prevention and control methods. HEV strains HEV-3, comprising 3a–3i subtypes, were present in Europe and America, whereas HEV-3 and HEV-4 were prevalent in Asia. The epidemic strains in China have evolved from HEV-1 to HEV-4. Recent studies have shown that gene recombination, amino acid mutations, and synonymous codon usage patterns are part of the mechanisms underlying HEV evolution. In particular, amino acid mutations are the main driving force for the continued prevalence of the virus. This paper reviews the classification, global epidemic characteristics, and evolutionary mechanism of HEV, aiming to provide a reference for the prevention and control of hepatitis E and vaccine development.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |