A kidney transplant recipient taking immunosuppressive medication develops persistent elevation of liver enzymes. Testing reveals hepatitis E virus RNA in the blood for over six months. Which factor most directly explains why this patient developed chronic infection?

Reduced T-cell–mediated immune responses allow the virus to persist in hepatocytes

The virus integrates permanently into the host genome

The virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets in transplant recipients

Immunosuppressive drugs increase the mutation rate of the viral genome