Both swine and human cells are capable to support the replication of swine hepatitis E virus type 4 in vitro.

Using swine anal swab or liver as inocula, cell-culture systems were developed for swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) in swine cells (IBRS-2) and human cells (A549). Both positive and negative strand of swine HEV RNA were detected continuously. Cytopathic effect appeared from passage 8 in IBRS-2 and passage 22 in A549. Viral antigen was detected by indirect immunofluorescent assay in infected cells. Progenies harbored mutations in the third nucleotide of codon. Amino acid changes occurred in passage 8 in IBRS-2 and rescued in passage 10. Full-length genome sequence of a swine HEV isolate from liver was determined to be genotype 4. Taken together, our data suggest that swine HEV is able to replicate in both swine and human cells in vitro.