Detection of hepatitis E virus in slaughtered pigs in Italy.
The stools of slaughtered pigs were screened for hepatitis E virus (HEV). HEV RNA was detected in 7.3% of the samples. HEV strains were characterized as genotype 3 subtype c, a cluster previously not described in Italy. These findings provide evidence that slaughterhouse workers may be exposed to HEV infection.
Di Martino
Barbara
B
Department of Scienze Biomediche Comparate, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria di Teramo, Università degli Studi di Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro, 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy. bdimartino@unite.it
Di Profio
Federica
F
Martella
Vito
V
Di Felice
Elisabetta
E
Di Francesco
Cristina E
CE
Ceci
Chiara
C
Marsilio
Fulvio
F
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000821:virology*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology*