Recombinant Proteins of the Swine Hepatitis E Virus and Their Uses as a Vaccine and Diagnostic Reagents for Medical and Veterinary Applications
This invention is based on the discovery of the swine hepatitis E virus (swine HEV), the first animal strain of HEV identified and characterized, and its ability to infect across species. The inventors have found that the swine HEV is widespread in the general pig population in the United States and other countries and that swine HEV can infect non-human primates. The inventors have amplified and sequenced the complete genome of swine HEV. The capsid gene (ORF2) of swine HEV has been cloned and expressed in a baculovirus expression system.