Abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an RNA virus causing an acute generally self-limited disease in humans. Over the last 10 years in Europe an increasing number of autochthonous cases linked to foodborne transmission of HEV genotype 3 have been reported. Pigs and wild boars are considered the main reservoirs. Human cases have been frequently linked to the consumption of raw or undercooked pork products and wild boar meat. In this study, we sampled 92 and 116 wild boar (Sus scrofa) livers during the hunting seasons 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, respectively. HEV RNA was detected in 62 livers with prevalence ranging from 0.0% to 65.7% depending on the hunting area. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strains clustered within the different subtypes HEV-3c, HEV-3f and other clusters not assignable to any subtypes described so far. The latter could be considered novel subtype. The main result of sequencing was the wide hetherogeneneity of circulating strains, reporting the result to the confined area investigated (≈720 km2). Animals possibly belonging to the same family group hunted by the same team were infected with a unique strain (100% nucleotide identity). Since wild animals are a proven source of HEV transmission to humans, results obtained underlined the risk of consuming raw or undercooked wild boar meat and thus this subject deserves further investigations. Furthermore, the occurrence of such variable HEV strains in the wild boar population investigated highlights the importance of the wild animals as reservoir of the zoonotic HEV genotype.
De Sabato L., O.F. (2019). Circulation of Hepatitis E virus in wild boar population in Central Italy.
Circulation of Hepatitis E virus in wild boar population in Central Italy
Ostanello F.Membro del Collaboration Group
;
2019
Abstract
Abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an RNA virus causing an acute generally self-limited disease in humans. Over the last 10 years in Europe an increasing number of autochthonous cases linked to foodborne transmission of HEV genotype 3 have been reported. Pigs and wild boars are considered the main reservoirs. Human cases have been frequently linked to the consumption of raw or undercooked pork products and wild boar meat. In this study, we sampled 92 and 116 wild boar (Sus scrofa) livers during the hunting seasons 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, respectively. HEV RNA was detected in 62 livers with prevalence ranging from 0.0% to 65.7% depending on the hunting area. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strains clustered within the different subtypes HEV-3c, HEV-3f and other clusters not assignable to any subtypes described so far. The latter could be considered novel subtype. The main result of sequencing was the wide hetherogeneneity of circulating strains, reporting the result to the confined area investigated (≈720 km2). Animals possibly belonging to the same family group hunted by the same team were infected with a unique strain (100% nucleotide identity). Since wild animals are a proven source of HEV transmission to humans, results obtained underlined the risk of consuming raw or undercooked wild boar meat and thus this subject deserves further investigations. Furthermore, the occurrence of such variable HEV strains in the wild boar population investigated highlights the importance of the wild animals as reservoir of the zoonotic HEV genotype.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
