Detection and Characterization of Hepatitis E Virus in Domestic Pigs of Different Ages in Portugal

• Published in: Zoonoses and public health Vol. 59; no. 7; pp. 477 - 481
• Main Authors: Berto, A., Mesquita, J. R., Hakze-van der Honing, R., Nascimento, M. S. J., van der Poel, W. H. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2012
• Subjects: Age Distribution; Animals; antibodies; countries; england; faeces; farms; Feces - virology; Female; Genotype; Hepatitis; Hepatitis E - epidemiology; Hepatitis E - genetics; Hepatitis E - veterinary; Hepatitis E - virology; Hepatitis E Virus; Hepatitis E virus - classification; Hepatitis E virus - genetics; Hepatitis E virus - isolation & purification; herds; Hogs; infection; Male; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; pigs; Portugal - epidemiology; Prevalence; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Viral - genetics; RNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine Diseases - epidemiology; Swine Diseases - genetics; Swine Diseases - virology; transmission; united-kingdom; wales; Zoonoses; Portugal
• ISSN: 1863-1959; 1863-2378
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01488.x

Summary This study represents the primary hepatitis E virus (HEV) surveillance in domestic pigs in Portugal, five pig farms were investigated in 5 different Portuguese regions, ten faecal samples were collected at four different stages of the production. All faecal samples were tested for hepatitis E virus by real‐time RT‐PCR. At least one sample from each farms of all age groups tested positive for HEV. The prevalence in the pig herds varied from 10% to 30% and the mean prevalence was 32% in weaners, 20% in growers, 32% in fatteners and 4% in adult dry sows. Phylogenetic analysis of the detected HEV sequences indicated that the circulating virus strains belong under the genotype 3.