Parameters used are predictors for short-term in-hospital mortality of elderly patients hospitalized in an acute medical unit. The lean body mass is preferentially mobilized for energy during hospitalization.

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f Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a fecally and orally transmitted human pathogen of worldwide distribution. In industrial countries, HEV is observed in an increasing number of autochthonous cases and is considered to be an emerging pathogen. A growing body of evidence suggests that HEV is a zoonotic disease, and pig handlers and pig veterinarians have been reported to be high-risk groups for HEV infection. The aims of the present study were to establish the prevalence of anti-HEV in wild boars in France and to identify whether forestry workers are at a higher risk of HEV infection. Three different anti-HEV tests were used to compare their effectiveness in detecting anti-HEV in the general population. The most sensitive test was then used to investigate HEV seroprevalence in 593 forestry workers and 421 wild boars. Anti-HEV was detected in 31% of the forestry workers and 14% of the wild boars. Detection of anti-HEV in humans was correlated with age, geographical location, and occupational activity and in wild boars was correlated with geographical location. HEV infection is frequent in woodcutters in France, and it varies geographically. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to elucidate the transmission route and the exact virus reservoirs.H epatitis E virus (HEV) is a nonenveloped, single-strand RNA virus that has been classified as the prototype and sole member in the Hepevirus genus of the Hepeviridae family (29). The viral genome of about 7.2 kb contains 3 partially overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 encodes nonstructural viral proteins, ORF2 encodes the capsid protein, and ORF3 encodes a small multifunctional protein. Four major HEV genotypes belonging to a single serotype have been identified (11). Genotype 1 is detected in most cases of human HEV disease (waterborne epidemics and sporadic cases), genotype 2 is rare and has been found in several epidemics in Mexico and central Africa, and genotypes 3 and 4 are detected in swine and in autochthonous HEV infections in industrial countries (5,19,20,30,34,39,45,49).HEV is a significant fecally and orally transmitted human pathogen of worldwide distribution, causing self-limited disease with mortality rates of 1 to 3% in the general population and up to 20 to 25% in pregnant women. In developing countries, HEV outbreaks have been attributed to feces-contaminated water supplies. In industrial countries, HEV is observed in travelers returning from countries where HEV is endemic and in an increasing number of individuals with no history of traveling to regions where HEV is endemic, particularly in France (5, 6, 20). Molecular analysis of HEV strains has revealed that the strains identified in nonimported HEV cases form a group of genetically divergent isolates compared to HEV strains in regions where HEV is endemic (31, 39). The modes of transmission of sporadic nonimported cases and of autochthonous cases have rarely been determined, with the exception of zoonotic food-borne transmission from pigs, wild boars, and wild deer (19,25,40,41,4...