title: Serological and Molecular Investigation of Swine Hepatitis E Virus in Pigs Raised in Southern Italy.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a common acute hepatitis transmitted by the fecal-oral route. In developed countries, the virus has a zoonotic potential, and domestic pigs and wild boars are considered main reservoirs. To assess the prevalence of HEV-positive animals in the Calabria region (southern Italy) on a serological and molecular level, a total of 216 autochthonous healthy pigs (Apulo-Calabrese breed) were sampled. Both sera and feces were collected. Pigs were grouped based on age: 117 pigs <6 months and 99 pigs >6 months. By using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system, a total of 173 (80%) of the 216 pigs tested seropositive. In all sampled farms (n = 8), pigs with antibodies (immunoglobulin G) against HEV were detected at a level higher than 60%, with a significant difference among age groups (P < 0.0001). Moreover, 16 fattening pigs were found to be nested reverse transcription PCR positive and thus to shed viral genomes in their feces. These positive findings resulted in a prevalence of 48.4% on the farm level (16 of 35 pigs) and an overall prevalence of 7.4% at the animal level (16 of 216 pigs). Based on the present study, HEV seems to circulate among the autochthonous domestic pig population of southern Italy with a low sharing rate. Further studies exploring the origin of infection are needed to minimize the risk of human exposure and to reduce consequences for public health.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa-Germaneto, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. costanzo.nic@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Univerity of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 272, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarno
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peretti
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno-Sezione di Catanzaro, viale Crotone, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciambrone
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno-Sezione di Catanzaro, viale Crotone, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casalinuovo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, Università Federico II di Napoli, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007558:Italy; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000821:virology*; D013552:Swine; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral