title: Presence of Hepatitis E Virus in a RED Deer (Cervus elaphus) Population in Central Italy.
abstract: Hepatitis E is an acute human disease caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). In addition to humans, HEV has been detected in several animal species and is recognized as a zoonotic pathogen. Pigs, wild boar and deer can be reservoir. In this study, we evaluated HEV prevalence in a free-living red deer (Cervus elaphus) population in central Italy by detecting virus-specific antibodies and RNA in sera. A total of 35 of 251 red deer sera were positive for anti-HEV IgG. HEV RNA was detected in 10 of 91 sera examined. Two genomic fragments targeted by diagnostic PCRs in the capsid region were sequenced, both matching with genotype 3 HEV. Overall results confirmed the occurrence of HEV infection in deer also in Italy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Bartolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ponterio
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angeloni
authors.affiliation: Monti Sibillini National Park, Visso, MC, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ostanello
authors.affiliation: DREAM Italia, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicoloso
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Zoonoses; anti-HEV IgG; genotype 3; hepatitis E; red deer