The is known to cause liver cirrhosis and neurological damage, say researchers at Public Health England.
Thousands of British pork lovers may already be infected by a strain of hepatitis transmitted by some products which are imported and being sold at a leading UK supermarket, according to fresh analysis compiled by scientists from Public Health England (PHE).
Hepatitis E (HEV) is transmitted by pork products from Europe, mainly Holland and Germany.
UK pigs do not currently have the virus strain in question.
Scientists at PHE, a government agency, have traced the shopping habits of infected people and found that a common factor is consumption of the own-brand sausages from “Supermarket X” .
PHE and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have refused to name who Supermarket X is but two separate sources said it was Tesco.