title: Detection of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in goats.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. Genotypes 1 and 2 are restricted to humans, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 also occur in animals and are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. In this study, by screening goat faecal samples collected from six small farms located in the province of Teramo (Abruzzo region, Italy), HEV RNA was found with an overall prevalence of 9.2% (11/119). Upon sequence analysis of a 0.8kb portion of the ORF2 gene, four strains were grouped with animal and human genotype 3 HEVs, subtype c, with the highest match (94.2-99.4% nt identity) to a wild boar strain, WB/P6-15/ITA, identified in the same geographical area in which the six goat farms were located. Further investigations are needed in order to assess if goat may represent an additional active host for HEV.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Teramo, Italy. Electronic address: bdimartino@unite.it.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Di Martino
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Profio
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melegari
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sarchese
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Malattie degli Animali Selvatici (CeRMAS), Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robetto
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marsilio
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università Aldo Moro di Bari, Valenzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martella
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005838:Genotype; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000662:veterinary*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins
keywords: Genotype 3; Goats; Hepatitis E virus (HEV)