title: Molecular detection of hepatitis E virus in sewage samples.
abstract: Human hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered an emerging pathogen in industrialized countries. In Italy, the true burden of HEV infection is unknown. Molecular HEV screening of raw sewage samples from 11 wastewater treatment plants yielded 19 positives (16%; 18 genotype I, 1 genotype III) evenly distributed throughout Italy. Evidence that HEV could be establishing itself in our region is accumulating and may justify more active surveillance to monitor its spread.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. giuseppina.larosa@iss.it
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Rosa
authors.forename: Manoochehr
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pourshaban
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iaconelli
authors.forename: Valentina Spuri
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Vennarucci
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muscillo
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012722:Sewage / Q000821:virology*; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012722:Sewage