title: Experimental Evaluation of Faecal Escherichia coli and Hepatitis E Virus as Biological Indicators of Contacts Between Domestic Pigs and Eurasian Wild Boar.
abstract: Domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) share several important viral and bacterial pathogens. Therefore, direct and indirect contacts between domestic pigs and wild boar present a risk of pathogen spillover and can lead to long-term perpetuation of infection. Biological indicators could be a powerful tool to understand and characterize contacts between wild boar and domestic pigs. Here, faecal Escherichia coli and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) were explored as potential biological indicators under experimental conditions. The data gained in our pilot study suggest that faecal E. coli can be used as biological indicator of contact between wild boar and domestic pig. For HEV, faecal transmission was also confirmed. However, molecular studies on full-genome basis did not reveal markers that would allow tracing of transmission direction. Based on these promising results, future field studies will especially target the practicability of E. coli microbiome molecular typing as surrogate of contacts at the wildlife-livestock interface.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geue
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hinsching
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jenckel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schlosser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eiden
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pietschmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Menge
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groschup
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Society, UPR AGIRS, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.|Department of Animal Science and Production, Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jori
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Society, UPR AGIRS, CIRAD, Montpellier, France.|Department of Production Animals Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Etter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blome
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000635:transmission; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology*; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000635:transmission; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D013552:Swine
keywords: 
  E. coli
  ; biological contact markers; domestic pig; hepatitis E virus; wild boar