title: Evidence of hepatitis E infection in swine and humans in the East Region of Romania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered to be a new zoonotic agent due to its close genomic resemblance to the human HEV. The aim of this study was to determine human HEV seroprevalence in eastern Romania and to characterize circulating swine HEV sequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serological investigations of human serum samples were done using a commercial ELISA kit (MP Biomedicals). Swine faecal samples were tested to detect the HEV ORF2 sequence by nested reverse transcription PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and forty-eight human serum samples were tested for anti-HEV IgG of which 22 were found to be positive. Fresh swine faeces (pools) were collected from five farms in eastern Romania. Six out of 19 pooled samples were positive for HEV RNA. Phylogenetic analysis based on alignment of the ORF2 sequence indicated that the Romanian swine HEV isolates belonged to genotype 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study showing HEV to be present in Romanian pig herds and that the human population is exposed.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 8 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aniţă
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Lucian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gorgan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 8 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Dragoş
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aniţă
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 8 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Luanda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oşlobanu
authors.affiliation: UMR 1161 Virology, Anses, Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavio
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 8 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iaşi, Romania. Electronic address: epirovet@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Gheorghe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savuţa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies
keywords: Hepatitis E virus; Human; PCR; Seroprevalence; Swine