Association of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) with lesions of hepatitis in pigs.
The aim of the study was to determine the presence of swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA and antibodies in postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome-affected (n=114) and non-affected (n=46) pigs and the possible association with hepatitis lesions. Forty-four pigs were RT-PCR positive (28.2%); 25 of them were PMWS cases, while 19 were non-PMWS pigs. In both groups, HEV RT-PCR results were associated with hepatitis (OR=5.61 for PMWS-affected pigs and OR=5.17 for non-PMWS affected pigs; p=0.01). No interaction was detected in a logistic regression between PMWS occurrence and HEV infection for the development of hepatitis lesions. Seropositivity to HEV was more likely to occur in pigs with hepatitis (51.9%) compared to pigs without hepatitis (36.1%; p=0.03). Significant differences in optical densities were notices comparing the lesional stage of pigs (p=0.009). While pigs with slight or moderate hepatitis were seropositive, pigs with more severe lesions were seronegative to HEV. These results indicate that swine HEV infection can be a significant contributor to the development of moderate hepatitis in pigs regardless of the PMWS status.
Martín
M
M
Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. marga.martin@uab.es
Segalés
J
J
Huang
F F
FF
Guenette
D K
DK
Mateu
E
E
de Deus
N
N
Meng
X J
XJ
D000818:Animals; D005838:Genotype; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006520:Hepatitis, Animal / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D053570:Porcine Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013552:Swine
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral