Published online Aug 27, 2024. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i8.1084
Revised: July 25, 2024
Accepted: July 30, 2024
Published online: August 27, 2024
Processing time: 88 Days and 8.3 Hours
Zoonoses are responsible for many of all emerging infectious diseases as well as for those already established. Rocahepevirus ratti is a rat-originated virus related to the hepatitis E virus (Paslahepevirus balayani) but highly divergent genetically from this, with a high cross-species infection potential and zoonotic transmission. It can infect humans, leading to acute hepatitis, and is primarily transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water. Rocahepevirus ratti was first discovered in Germany in 2010. The first human case was described in 2017 in Hong Kong in an immune-compromised patient. The first case of chronic infection with Rocahepevirus ratti was described in 2023. A meta-analysis based on 38 studies published between 2000 and 2023 identified 21 cases in humans described up to this date and 489 infections in different animals. Raising awareness regarding this virus is essential, as there are probably many cases that remain undiagnosed, and the virus even has the ability to produce chronic infections in selected patients.
Core Tip: Zoonoses are increasingly encountered in human pathology as the human/animal interface becomes closer and deeper. Rocahepevirus ratti, a virus related to the human hepatitis E virus but genetically highly divergent, has demonstrated the ability to cross species barriers and cause infections in humans. These infections, ranging from subclinical to severe and even life-threatening, are considered by many as an emerging threat to public health. The potential severity of Rocahepevirus ratti infections underscores the urgent need for improved diagnosis, treatment, and public health measures, as described in this editorial.