Researchers from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry have identified a high prevalence of hepatitis E in the Chugoku area's population of wild boars, the ministry said on Wednesday.

A group of researchers monitoring wild animals captured in various areas across Japan discovered that over 30 percent of the population of wild boars in the Chugoku area have a history of, or have been infected with, strains of the hepatitis E virus (HEV).

The ministry has warned the public against consumption of raw wild boar meat, saying the virulent HEV strains can be easily transmitted to people.