scholarly journals Increasing Hepatitis E Virus Seroprevalence in Domestic Pigs and Wild Boar in Bulgaria

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Takova ◽  
Tsvetoslav Koynarski ◽  
Ivan Minkov ◽  
Zdravka Ivanova ◽  
Valentina Toneva ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a causative agent of acute viral hepatitis, predominantly transmitted by the fecal–oral route. In developed countries, HEV is considered to be an emerging pathogen since the number of autochthonous cases is rising. Hepatitis E is a viral disease with a proven zoonotic potential for some of its genotypes. The main viral reservoirs are domestic pigs and wild boar. Consumption of undercooked meat, as well as occupational exposure, are key factors for the spread of HEV. In order to evaluate the risks of future viral evolution, a detailed examination of the ecology and distribution of the virus is needed. The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG Ab in domestic pigs and wild boar in Bulgaria; (2) Methods: In this study, during the period of three years between 2017 and 2019, 433 serum samples from 19 different pig farms and 1 slaughterhouse were collected and analyzed. In addition, 32 samples from wild boar were also collected and analyzed during the 2018–2019 hunting season. All samples were analyzed by commercial indirect ELISA; (3) Results: Overall, HEV seroprevalence was 60% (95% CI 42.7–77.1) in domestic pigs and 12.5% (4/32) in wild boar. The observed seroprevalence of the slaughter-aged pigs was 73.65% (95% Cl 58.7–87.3). Prevalence in domestic pigs was significantly higher in the samples collected during 2019 (98% (95% Cl 96.1–99.9)) compared to those collected during 2017 (45.33% (95% CI 2.7–87.3)) and 2018 (38.46% (95% CI 29.1–49.7.); (4) Conclusions: Our findings suggest that domesticated pigs and wild boar might be the reason for the increased HEV transmission across Bulgaria. The genotypic characterization of HEV found in pigs, wild boar and humans will give a more accurate view of the zoonotic transmission of this virus.

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3298
Author(s):  
Gianmarco Ferrara ◽  
Consiglia Longobardi ◽  
Filomena D’Ambrosi ◽  
Maria Grazia Amoroso ◽  
Nicola D’Alessio ◽  
...  

Aujeszky’s disease (AD, pseudorabies) is a viral disease of suids caused by Suid Herpesvirus 1 (SHV-1) also referred as Aujeszky’s disease virus (ADV) or Pseudorabies virus (ADV). Domestic pig and Wild boar (Sus scrofa) are the natural host, but many species can be infected with ADV. The aim of our study was to evaluate seroprevalence of AD in wild boar hunted in the Campania Region, during the 2016–2017 hunting season. A total of 503 serum samples from wild boars hunted in the provinces of Campania Region (Southern Italy) were collected and were tested for antibody against ADV using an AD, blocking ELISA assay. A Seroprevalence of 23.85% (120/503, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 20.15–27.55) was found. Gender was not significantly associated with of ADV seropositivity (p > 0.05), while the presence of ADV antibodies was statistically associated with age (>36-month, p < 0.0001) and location (Avellino, p = 0.0161). Our prevalence values are like those obtained in 2010 in our laboratory (30.7%), demonstrating a constant circulation of ADV in the area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Bonardi ◽  
Virginia Filipello ◽  
Enrico Pavoni ◽  
Valentina Carta ◽  
Luca Bolzoni ◽  
...  

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a singlestrand RNA virus that causes an acute viral hepatitis in humans. Among its eight recognized genotypes, HEV-3 and HEV-4 are zoonotic, infecting humans, pigs and wild boars. Recently, HEV-3 has been also detected in red deer, which represents another reservoir of HEV. Consumption of raw pork products (mainly liver sausages), undercooked wild boar meat, raw wild boar liver and deer meat has been responsible for foodborne HEV human worldwide. From November 2018 to March 2019, liver samples collected from 97 wild boars hunted in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) were tested for HEV RNA. The hunting area included two territories for an extension of 33 km2, named A (about 13 km2, natural park, deciduous wood) and B (about 20 km2, cultivated fields in proximity of a river) areas. Distance between the two areas ranged between 8 to 10 km. A total of 73 wild boars were hunted in area A, and 24 in area B. HEV RNA was detected by Realtime RT–PCR in 23/73 liver samples of wild boars living in area A only (31.5% - 95% CI: 22.0-42.8%). The HEV sequences (n=13) clustered within genotype 3. The majority of positives belonged to animals < 12 months (12/25; 48%), followed by subadults (13-24 months) (7/16; 43.8%) and adults (4/32; 12.5%). This difference was found to be statistically significant (p=0.0024). In absence of pig farms, the restriction of HEV-positive animals to a well-defined territory of 13 km2 (Boschi di Carrega Regional Park) could hypothetically be related to the presence of red deer (Cervus elaphus), which lived in area A at the beginning of the hunting season. Further studies are needed to confirm or deny our hypothesis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 180 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Schlosser ◽  
Ariel Vina-Rodriguez ◽  
Christine Fast ◽  
Martin H. Groschup ◽  
Martin Eiden

2008 ◽  
Vol 128 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 380-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadia Kaci ◽  
Karsten Nöckler ◽  
Reimar Johne

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Plut ◽  
Urska Jamnikar-Ciglenecki ◽  
Marina Stukelj

Abstract Background: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) are common and economically important viral disease causative agents detected in pig oral fluid (OF), faeces and serum at some infection stages. The purpose of this study was to detect PRRSV, PCV2 and HEV on six pig farms to determine which of the three sample types, OF, faeces or serum is appropriate for the diagnosis of these viruses in different pig categories.The following pig categories were included: 5 weeks-old (w/o), 7 w/o, 9 w/o, 11 w/o weaners, fatteners and breeding sows. Pursuant to the preliminary detection of each pathogen at the selected farms, OF samples, faeces, serum pools and 10 individual sera were examined, using PCR, for each age category. If any of the viruses were found in pools of faeces and OF, then faeces and OF from positive farms were tested separately for each pig category. The viral nucleic acids were detected using RT-PCR, PCR and real-time RT-PCR, for PRRSV, PCV2 and HEV respectively.Results: PRRSV and HEV were detected on one farm and PCV2 on three others, positive results being more often obtained from the OF than from the faeces of the same animals. Ten individual serum samples from pigs from the same group of animals were also tested. The viruses were detected in almost all individual sera and OF in the same pig category with some exceptions: PRRSV was detected in the OF of fatteners but was absent in their sera; on Farm 2, PCV2 was detected in sera of 11 w/o pigs and fatteners but absent in group samples of their OF and, vice versa, in case of 9 w/o animals; HEV was detected in the OF of the youngest, 5 w/o weaners and absent in sera of the same age group.Conclusions: The primary finding of the study is that OF is a welfare-friendly, non-invasive and highly efficient matrix for pathogen detection, thus evidencing the usefulness of pig OF as a matrix in which each of the three viruses considered can be detected with the highest probability.


Author(s):  
André Luiz Bortoliero ◽  
Ana Maria Bonametti ◽  
Helena Kaminami Morimoto ◽  
Tiemi Matsuo ◽  
Edna Maria Vissoci Reiche

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 996 volunteer blood donors enrolled from May 1999 to December 1999 to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among volunteer blood donors of the Regional Blood Bank of Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil, and to evaluate whether the rate of seroprevalence of IgG anti-HEV antibodies is associated with sociodemographic variables and with seropositivity for hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. All participants answered the questionnaire regarding the sociodemographic characterisitcs. Serum samples were tested for IgG antibodies to HEV (anti-HEV) by an enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). All serum samples positive for anti-HEV IgG and 237 serum samples negative for anti-HEV were also assayed for IgG anti-HAV antibodies by ELISA. Anti-HEV IgG was confirmed in 23/996 samples, resulting in a seroprevalence of 2.3% for HEV infection, similar to previous results obtained in developed countries. No significant association was found between the presence of anti-HEV IgG antibodies and the sociodemographic variables including gender, age, educational level, rural or urban areas, source of water, and sewer system (p > 0.05). Also, no association with seropositivity for anti-HAV IgG antibodies was observed (p > 0.05). Although this study revealed a low seroprevalence of HEV infection in the population evaluated, the results showed that this virus is circulating among the population from Londrina, South Brazil, and point out the need of further studies to define the clinical and epidemiological importance of HEV infection and to identify additional risk factors involved in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of this infection in this population.


Author(s):  
Adriana ANITA ◽  
Daniela POREA ◽  
Andreea COZMA ◽  
Dragos ANITA ◽  
Gheorghe SAVUTA

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has significantly impacted humans due to its potential to cause acute viral hepatitis. Discovery of hepatitis E virus in domestic pigs and wild boars worldwide and the realization that it is highly prevalent, raised concerns of the implications for food-borne transmission of HEV in Europe. Present work focusses on molecular detection of hepatitis E virus in wild boar liver samples, underlining the possible role of wildlife as a source of HEV transmission to humans. During hunting season 2016-2017, liver samples were collected from 37 wild boars in Iași and Suceava County. All tissues samples were submitted for RNA isolation followed by nested RT-PCR. Genetic characterization of wild boar HEV targeted the structural gene in the ORF2 region of hepatitis E virus genome. After specific amplification by nested RT-PCR of a 348 nt fragment from HEV ORF2, five liver samples positive for hepatitis E virus genotype 3 RNA were identified. In the present study HEV detection in Romanian fresh liver from wild boars highlights the importance of swine as a possible source of foodborne transmission. Moreover, our results along with the reviewed literature data emphasize the necessity of efficient food safety control measures implementation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Schlosser ◽  
Martin Eiden ◽  
Ariel Vina-Rodriguez ◽  
Christine Fast ◽  
Paul Dremsek ◽  
...  

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