title: Serological and molecular evidence of hepatitis E virus in swine in Brazil.
abstract: Active hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in two Brazilian swine herds were investigated. In study 1, 26 piglets born to five anti-HEV positive sows were monitored from birth to post-partum week 22. Serum samples were screened for the detection of anti-HEV antibodies and a nested RT-PCR used to examine the HEV genome. Passive transfer of immunity was confirmed. At week 22, 23/26 (88.4%) of the piglets had seroconverted. Genome amplification was achieved in a feces pool from one holding pen and in one serum sample, both from 13-week-old animals. Histology was suggestive of a potential HEV infection. In the second study, 47 piglets born to six anti-HEV-positive sows were monitored after weaning. Seroconversion was determined in eight animals at 6-8 weeks of age. HEV RNA was detected in two pools from a holding pen for 12-16-week-old animals. Brazilian isolates were classified as genotype 3. This is the first molecular evidence of HEV infection in Brazilian pig herds.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Pavilhão Helio e Peggy Pereira, 2 degrees andar, 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. santosdl@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Debora Regina Lopes
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Claudia Lamarca
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Vitral
authors.forename: Vanessa Salete
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: de Paula
authors.forename: Renato Sergio
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Marchevsky
authors.forename: Juliana Freitas
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Ana Maria Coimbra
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: Telma Michella
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Saddi
authors.forename: Nilton Cecílio de Mesquita
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Júnior
authors.forename: Flavio de Rezende
authors.initials: Fde R
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: João Garcia Caramori
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Júnior
authors.forename: Lia Laura Lewis
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ximenes
authors.forename: Francisco José Dutra
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Souto
authors.forename: Marcelo Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005838:Genotype; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011247:Pregnancy; D011634:Public Health; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral