title: Seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus and anti-Salmonella antibodies in pigs at slaughter in Switzerland.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) and Salmonella bacteria are zoonotic pathogens that can be acquired by foodborne transmission because food animals, for example pigs, are recognized as a reservoir. The objectives of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of anti-HEV immunoglobulin  G (IgG) and anti-Salmonella antibodies from healthy pigs at slaughter in Switzerland, a country with a good health status of pig herds (e.g., eradication of enzootic pneumonia) compared with those of many countries in the European Union, and a rate of importation of live pigs that is  very low (<1%). Based on pooled (diaphragm muscles from 3 to 5 animals per producer) meat juice samples, 120 (60%) of 200 and 8 (4%) of 200 samples were positive for anti-HEV IgG and anti-Salmonella antibodies, respectively. HEV seems to be highly prevalent among fattening pigs in  Switzerland, whereas the low seroprevalence of anti-Salmonella IgG has not changed in recent years.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Science, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. silke.wacheck@lmu.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wacheck
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarno
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Märtlbauer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zweifel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stephan
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D011634:Public Health; D012475:Salmonella / Q000276:immunology; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G