[Presence of anti hepatitis E virus antibodies in swine: is it an animal reservoir for hepatitis E?].
BACKGROUND
Swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) has a cross-reaction with human anti-HEV antibodies. Therefore, pigs could be an animal reservoir, rendering hepatitis E as a zoonosis. The spread of this infection among infected pigs across countries would be possible through trading. Previously, using an anti-human conjugate, we detected anti-HEV antobodies in adult pigs in Chile.


OBJECTIVE
To detect anti-HEV (ELISA) in a cohort of swine at different ages.


METHODS
Two hundred pigs aged 42 to 360 days, divided in 20 groups of 10 animals were tested. Anti-HEV was detected by ELISA using anti-pig IgG horseradish peroxidase instead of anti-human conjugates.


RESULTS
Anti-HEV were detected in one animal aged 90 days, two animals aged 120 days, one animal aged 260 days and 2 animals aged 360 days, five pregnant sows and two old hogs. This represents a total of 14 animals or 7% of the sample.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a significant prevalence of anti-HEV in pigs from 90 days of birth, suggesting that these swine are a probable reservoir.
Ibarra V
Humberto
H
Instituto de Medicina e Instituto de Microbiología, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. hibarra@uach.cl
Riedemann G
Stella
S
Reinhardt V
German
G
Calvo A
Mario
M
D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G