title: Serological survey of hepatitis E virus infection in farmed and pet rabbits in Italy.
abstract: The recent identification in rabbits of hepatitis E viruses (HEV) related to viruses infecting humans raises the question of the role of this species as possible HEV reservoir. A serological survey on rabbit HEV infection was conducted in Italy during 2013-2014, including both farmed and pet rabbits. We found an anti-HEV antibody seroprevalence of 3.40 % in 206 farmed rabbits (collected on 7 farms) and 6.56 % in 122 pets. RNA was extracted from IgG-positive sera and analyzed by HEV-specific real-time RT-PCR. None of the samples were positive, confirming that no viremia was present in the presence of IgG. Only one serum sample from a farmed rabbit was positive for IgM, but no HEV RNA was detected in it. Pet rabbit feces were also tested for HEV RNA, with negative results. This finding suggests that HEV is circulating in rabbits in Italy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy. ilaria.dibartolo@iss.it.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Bartolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Sabato
authors.affiliation: , Macerata, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marata
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Magistrali
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monini
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ponterio
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: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000276:immunology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Hepatitis E virus; IgG; IgM; Rabbits; Zoonoses