South Korean health authorities will conduct a study on local patients with Hepatitis E to trace the transmission route of the virus, as thousands of people in Europe reportedly contracted the virus from sausages and pork products.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Sunday that it will launch a comprehensive research and analysis on the patients and the sources of their infection, saying that about 100 South Koreans are treated for Hepatitis E a year.

Hepatitis E is transmitted through the consumption of uncooked or undercooked meat, and its symptoms include fever, reduced appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and jaundice after a 40 day incubation period.

The KCDC advised people to cook pork products properly before eating and to practice good personal hygiene.