Hepatitis E Virus in Pork Food Chain, United Kingdom, 2009–2010

Abstract

We investigated contamination by hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the pork production chain in the United Kingdom. We detected HEV in pig liver samples in a slaughterhouse, in surface samples from a processing plant, and in pork sausages and surface samples at point of sale. Our fi ndings provide evidence for possible foodborne transmission of HEV during pork production. D uring the past 10 years, hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection acquired in industrialized regions worldwide in the apparent absence of contaminated drinking water for fecaloral transmission has been reported (1). In Japan, foodborne transmission of HEV through ingestion of contaminated Sika deer, wild boar, and pig meat has been demonstrated (2) and, in France, after ingestion of pig liver sausage (3). Detection of HEV in pig liver sold in retail locations has been reported from Japan, the United States, and the Netherlands in 1.9%, 14.0%, and 6.5%, respectively (4,5). PCR indicated that 1 (1.3%) of 76 pig livers collected at retail outlets in southwestern England was positive for HEV (6).The European Commission Framework Program 7 project, Integrated Monitoring and Control of Foodborne Viruses in European Food Supply Chains, aimed to gather data on virus contamination of food and environmental sources for quantitative viral risk assessment and development of virus-specifi c guidance for food supply chain operators. The UK Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency investigated the pork food chain for HEV from slaughterhouse to point of sale. We investigated fecal contamination of pork and work surfaces during this study. The StudyDuring September 2009-October 2010, we collected samples from slaughtered pigs, human hands, and the environment at perceived critical points for virus contamination in a pig slaughterhouse, a processing plant, and 3 points of retail sale. Food safety fact-fi nding visits were made to the premises during which, through direct observations of conditions and practices, more points were identifi ed where contamination with viruses possibly could occur and from where ad hoc surface samples were collected by using sterile gauze swabs and placed in in phosphate-buffered saline plus antimicrobial drugs.We tested all samples collected by using real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) (7) for HEV. In addition, samples were tested for porcine adenovirus (PAdV) and human adenovirus by PCR as indicators of porcine and human fecal contamination, respectively. Nucleic acid extraction and rRT-PCR were performed according to standardized Integrated Monitoring and Control of Foodborne Viruses in European Food Supply Chains protocols. An extraction control virus, murine norovirus (MNoV), was placed in all samples before the lysis step of the extraction (8) to demonstrate the extraction of amplifi able nucleic acid. We performed all rRT-PCRs with an internal amplifi cation control (8).At the slaughterhouse, 40 carcasses were selected. Ten carcasses were randomly selected from each of 4 groups of pigs slaughtered that day; each group c...

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