title: Hepatitis E virus chronic infection of swine co-infected with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus.
abstract: In developed countries, most of hepatitis E human cases are of zoonotic origin. Swine is a major hepatitis E virus (HEV) reservoir and foodborne transmissions after pork product consumption have been described. The risk for HEV-containing pig livers at slaughter time is related to the age at infection and to the virus shedding duration. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) is a virus that impairs the immune response; it is highly prevalent in pig production areas and suspected to influence HEV infection dynamics. The impact of PRRSV on the features of HEV infections was studied through an experimental HEV/PRRSV co-infection of specific-pathogen-free (SPF) pigs. The follow-up of the co-infected animals showed that HEV shedding was delayed by a factor of 1.9 in co-infected pigs compared to HEV-only infected pigs and specific immune response was delayed by a factor of 1.6. HEV shedding was significantly increased with co-infection and dramatically extended (48.6 versus 9.7 days for HEV only). The long-term HEV shedding was significantly correlated with the delayed humoral response in co-infected pigs. Direct transmission rate was estimated to be 4.7 times higher in case of co-infection than in HEV only infected pigs (0.70 and 0.15 per day respectively). HEV infection susceptibility was increased by a factor of 3.3, showing the major impact of PRRSV infection on HEV dynamics. Finally, HEV/PRRSV co-infection - frequently observed in pig herds - may lead to chronic HEV infection which may dramatically increase the risk of pig livers containing HEV at slaughter time.
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Laboratoire de Ploufragan-Plouzané, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France. morgane.salines@gmail.com.|Université européenne de Bretagne, 35000, Rennes, France. morgane.salines@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Morgane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salines
authors.affiliation: UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. elodie.barnaud@anses.fr.|UMR 1161 Virology, INRA, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. elodie.barnaud@anses.fr.|UMR 1161 Virology, Paris Est University, École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. elodie.barnaud@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barnaud
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Laboratoire de Ploufragan-Plouzané, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France. mathieu.andraud@anses.fr.|Université européenne de Bretagne, 35000, Rennes, France. mathieu.andraud@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andraud
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Laboratoire de Ploufragan-Plouzané, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France. florent.eono@anses.fr.|Université européenne de Bretagne, 35000, Rennes, France. florent.eono@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Florent
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eono
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Laboratoire de Ploufragan-Plouzané, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France. patricia.renson@anses.fr.|Université européenne de Bretagne, 35000, Rennes, France. patricia.renson@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Renson
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Laboratoire de Ploufragan-Plouzané, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France. olivier.bourry@anses.fr.|Université européenne de Bretagne, 35000, Rennes, France. olivier.bourry@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bourry
authors.affiliation: UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. nicole.pavio@anses.fr.|UMR 1161 Virology, INRA, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. nicole.pavio@anses.fr.|UMR 1161 Virology, Paris Est University, École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. nicole.pavio@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavio
authors.affiliation: ANSES, Laboratoire de Ploufragan-Plouzané, BP 53, 22440, Ploufragan, France. nicolas.rose@anses.fr.|Université européenne de Bretagne, 35000, Rennes, France. nicolas.rose@anses.fr.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D060085:Coinfection / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000502:physiology; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D008297:Male; D019318:Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D019316:Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / Q000502:physiology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013552:Swine; D017201:Virus Shedding