Hepatitis E Virus in Pigs from Slaughterhouses, United States, 2017–2019

Sooryanarain, Harini; Heffron, C. Lynn; Hill, Dolores E.; Fredericks, Jorrell; Rosenthal, Benjamin M.; Werre, Stephen R.; Opriessnig, Tanja; Meng, Xiang‐Jin

doi:10.3201/eid2602.191348

Cited by 38 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This is the first study in Italy to analyze viremia, which has rarely been investigated thus far. Studies conducted so far have shown a similar percentage of 5.7% in the UK [ 20 ] and 6.3% in the USA [ 21 ]. Viremia is transient and more difficult to detect but represents a major risk of muscle contamination linked to residual blood after bleeding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

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Hepatitis E Virus Occurrence in Pigs Slaughtered in Italy

Chelli

Suffredini

Santis

et al. 2021

Animals

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In Europe, foodborne transmission has been clearly associated to sporadic cases and small clusters of hepatitis E in humans linked to the consumption of contaminated pig liver sausages, raw venison, or undercooked wild boar meat. In Europe, zoonotic HEV-genotype 3 strains are widespread in pig farms but little information is available on the prevalence of HEV positive pigs at slaughterhouse. In the present study, the prevalence of HEV-RNA positive pigs was assessed on 585 animals from 4 abattoirs located across Italy. Twenty-one pigs (3.6%) tested positive for HEV in either feces or liver by real-time RT-PCR. In these 21 pigs, eight diaphragm muscles resulted positive for HEV-RNA. Among animals collected in one abattoir, 4 out of 91 plasma tested positive for HEV-RNA. ELISA tests for the detection of total antibodies against HEV showed a high seroprevalence (76.8%), confirming the frequent exposure of pigs to the virus. The phylogenetic analyses conducted on sequences of both ORF1 and ORF2 fragments, shows the circulation of HEV-3c and of a novel unclassified subtype. This study provides information on HEV occurrence in pigs at the slaughterhouse, confirming that muscles are rarely contaminated by HEV-RNA compared to liver, which is the most frequently positive for HEV.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…HEV-viremic pigs at the slaughterhouse may contaminate muscles through inadequate bleeding. However, occurrence of viremia in pigs at the slaughterhouse was rarely investigated and its prevalence was 0.9% in China [ 19 ], 5.7% in the UK, 6.3% in the USA and up to 44.4% in Scotland [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hepatitis E Virus Occurrence in Pigs Slaughtered in Italy

Chelli

Suffredini

Santis

et al. 2021

Animals

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“…It has been reported that 21% of pigs in the UK tested positive for HEV RNA at the time of slaughter (Grierson et al 2015 ), and that in the USA 6.3% of pigs from slaughterhouses were HEV RNA positive (Sooryanarain et al 2020 ). As such, it is probable that the consumption of raw and undercooked pork products is acting as a transmission route of HEV to humans.…”

Section: Hev In Pigs and Pork Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Foodborne Transmission of Hepatitis E Virus to Humans

Treagus

Wright²,

Baker‐Austin

et al. 2021

Food Environ Virol

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Globally, Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes over 20 million cases worldwide. HEV is an emerging and endemic pathogen within economically developed countries, chiefly resulting from infections with genotype 3 (G3) HEV. G3 HEV is known to be a zoonotic pathogen, with a broad host range. The primary source of HEV within more economically developed countries is considered to be pigs, and consumption of pork products is a significant risk factor and known transmission route for the virus to humans. However, other foods have also been implicated in the transmission of HEV to humans. This review consolidates the information available regarding transmission of HEV and looks to identify gaps where further research is required to better understand how HEV is transmitted to humans through food.

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“…There is clear evidence that HEV infection in humans occurs through consumption of raw or undercooked meat or liver (Bachofen et al., 2017). With the seroprevalence of HEV in domestic pigs at slaughter as high as 40% in the United States and 58% in Switzerland, pigs represent the main source of exposure to hepatitis (Müller et al., 2017; Sooryanarain et al., 2020; Wilhelm et al., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in dogs in Switzerland

Veronesi

Morach

Hübschke

et al. 2020

Zoonoses and Public Health

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Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of an acute and in most cases self‐limiting hepatitis. Of the four major HEV genotypes that infect humans, genotype 3 and 4 are zoonotic and have been identified in humans but predominantly in pigs and wild boar, which are considered the main reservoirs. However, the known host range of zoonotic HEV may be increasing to comprise additional species, including companion animals. Several studies have identified contact with dogs as a risk factor for HEV infection in humans, yet information on the occurrence of HEV in Swiss dogs is lacking. To examine a possible risk of exposure, this study was designed to assess the seroprevalence of HEV in 84 Swiss dogs. Serum and plasma samples collected from four veterinary clinics were screened for HEV‐specific antibodies by HEV‐antibody ELISA test kit. In addition, information of 22 dogs regarding the country of origin, the type of dog feed and any history of hunting was recorded. Samples from seropositive animals were also screened for the presence of HEV RNA by quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR). Overall, 38% (32 of 84) of the dogs tested seropositive for anti‐HEV, indicating exposure to HEV. Among the 22 dogs for which information was available, HEV‐specific antibodies were detected in three of five dogs that were born abroad, in one of two dogs that were fed a raw meat‐based diet, and in one hunting dog. No viral RNA could be detected in any of the serum and plasma samples; thus, the genotype of the strains remained undetermined. This study provides further evidence for canine exposure and susceptibility to HEV and highlights the need to further assess the risks of HEV transmission to humans with contact to dogs.

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Hepatitis E Virus in Pigs from Slaughterhouses, United States, 2017–2019

Cited by 38 publications

References 15 publications

Hepatitis E Virus Occurrence in Pigs Slaughtered in Italy

Hepatitis E Virus Occurrence in Pigs Slaughtered in Italy

The Foodborne Transmission of Hepatitis E Virus to Humans

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in dogs in Switzerland

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