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Salgado CRS, Silva ADNE, Arruda IF, Millar PR, Amendoeira MRR, Leon LAA, Teixeira RBC, de Lima JTB, Chalhoub FLL, Bispo de Filippis AM, Fonseca ABM, de Oliveira JM, Pinto MA, Figueiredo AS. Serological Evidence of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Brazilian Equines. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2743. [PMID: 38004754 PMCID: PMC10673136 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been demonstrated in various animal species; those recognized as potential zoonotic reservoirs pose a considerable risk to public health. In Brazil, HEV-3 is the only genotype identified in humans and swine nationwide, in a colony-breeding cynomolgus monkey and, recently, in bovines and capybara. There is no information regarding HEV exposure in the equine population in Brazil. This study aimed to investigate anti-HEV antibodies and viral RNA in serum samples from horses slaughtered for meat export and those bred for sport/reproduction purposes. We used a commercially available ELISA kit modified to detect species-specific anti-HEV, using an anti-horse IgG-peroxidase conjugate and evaluating different cutoff formulas and assay precision. Serum samples (n = 257) were tested for anti-HEV IgG and HEV RNA by nested RT-PCR and RT-qPCR. The overall anti-HEV seroprevalence was 26.5% (68/257) without the detection of HEV RNA. Most municipalities (53.3%) and farms (58.8%) had positive horses. Animals slaughtered for human consumption had higher risk of HEV exposure (45.5%) than those bred for sports or reproduction (6.4%) (p < 0.0001). The statistical analysis revealed sex and breeding system as possible risk-associated factors. The first serological evidence of HEV circulation in Brazilian equines reinforces the need for the surveillance of HEV host expansion in a one-health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Roberta Soares Salgado
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.S.S.); (J.M.d.O.)
| | - Aldaleia do Nascimento e Silva
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.S.S.); (J.M.d.O.)
| | - Igor Falco Arruda
- Laboratório de Toxoplasmose e outras Protozooses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (I.F.A.)
| | - Patrícia Riddell Millar
- Laboratório de Toxoplasmose e outras Protozooses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (I.F.A.)
| | - Maria Regina Reis Amendoeira
- Laboratório de Toxoplasmose e outras Protozooses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (I.F.A.)
| | - Luciane Almeida Amado Leon
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.S.S.); (J.M.d.O.)
| | | | - Jorge Tiburcio Barbosa de Lima
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais—UFMG, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Flávia Löwen Levy Chalhoub
- Laboratório de Arbovírus e Vírus Hemorrágicos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Bispo de Filippis
- Laboratório de Arbovírus e Vírus Hemorrágicos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Beatriz Monteiro Fonseca
- Departamento de Estatística, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade Federal Fluminense—UFF, Niterói 24210-346, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Mendes de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.S.S.); (J.M.d.O.)
| | - Marcelo Alves Pinto
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.S.S.); (J.M.d.O.)
| | - Andreza Soriano Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (C.R.S.S.); (J.M.d.O.)
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Viera-Segura O, Calderón-Flores A, Batún-Alfaro JA, Fierro NA. Tracing the History of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Mexico: From the Enigmatic Genotype 2 to the Current Disease Situation. Viruses 2023; 15:1911. [PMID: 37766316 PMCID: PMC10536485 DOI: 10.3390/v15091911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the major cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. This virus is responsible for waterborne outbreaks in low-income countries and zoonosis transmission in industrialized regions. Initially, considered self-limiting, HEV may also lead to chronic disease, and evidence supports that infection can be considered a systemic disease. In the late 1980s, Mexico became a hot spot in the study of HEV due to one of the first virus outbreaks in Latin America related to enterically transmitted viral non-A, non-B hepatitis. Viral stool particles recovered from Mexican viral hepatitis outbreaks represented the first identification of HEV genotype (Gt) 2 (Gt2) in the world. No new findings of HEV-Gt2 have been reported in the country, whereas this genotype has been found in countries on the African continent. Recent investigations in Mexico have identified other strains (HEV-Gt1 and -Gt3) and a high frequency of anti-HEV antibodies in animal and human populations. Herein, the potential reasons for the disappearance of HEV-Gt2 in Mexico and the advances in the study of HEV in the country are discussed along with challenges in studying this neglected pathogen. These pieces of information are expected to contribute to disease control in the entire Latin American region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Viera-Segura
- Laboratorio de Diagnóstico de Enfermedades Emergentes y Reemergentes, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico
| | - Arturo Calderón-Flores
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Julio A. Batún-Alfaro
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Nora A. Fierro
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
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Abrantes AC, Santos-Silva S, Mesquita J, Vieira-Pinto M. Hepatitis E Virus in the Wild Boar Population: What Is the Real Zoonotic Risk in Portugal? Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:433. [PMID: 37755894 PMCID: PMC10535446 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8090433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important zoonosis in wild boar. Reported zoonotic cases are mainly associated with the consumption of raw/undercooked meat and/or liver. This study aims to determine the occurrence of HEV in the Portuguese wild boar population. During the hunting season 2021/2022, 123-matched samples (liver, faeces, and blood) were collected from hunted wild boars throughout Portugal. An RT-PCR assay tested liver and faeces samples to detect HEV-RNA. From blood samples, an ELISA test was performed. Only one liver sample was positive for HEV (0,8%) and one other from faeces. A total of 34 sera were seropositive (26.7%). At the same time, in a survey of 106 hunters, 21 consumed/ate the liver of wild boars (19.8%). Only three recognised the possibility of consuming it undercooked. Contrary to previous studies in Portugal, the prevalence of HEV in liver and faeces is low, but the seropositivity is higher. But, when analyzing in detail, it could be observed that an HEV hotspot exists in the southeast of central Portugal and that it is a zoonotic risk for hunters of this region. The data of this study reinforce the importance of including HEV in surveillance programs for wildlife diseases to expand the potential zoonotic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Abrantes
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Sérgio Santos-Silva
- Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - João Mesquita
- Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIunit), Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Madalena Vieira-Pinto
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- AL4AnimalS-Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Portugal
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Porea D, Raileanu C, Crivei LA, Gotu V, Savuta G, Pavio N. First Detection of Hepatitis E Virus ( Rocahepevirus ratti Genotype C1) in Synanthropic Norway Rats ( Rattus norvegicus) in Romania. Viruses 2023; 15:1337. [PMID: 37376636 DOI: 10.3390/v15061337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen with different viral genera and species reported in a wide range of animals. Rodents, particularly rats, carry the specific genus rat HEV (Rocahepevirus genus, genotype C1) and are exposed occasionally to HEV-3 (Paslahepevirus genus, genotype 3), a zoonotic genotype identified in humans and widely distributed in domestic and feral pigs. In this study, the presence of HEV was investigated in synanthropic Norway rats from Eastern Romania, in areas where the presence of HEV-3 was previously reported in pigs, wild boars and humans. Using methods capable of detecting different HEV species, the presence of HEV RNA was investigated in 69 liver samples collected from 52 rats and other animal species. Nine rat liver samples were identified as being positive for rat HEV RNA (17.3%). High sequence identity (85-89% nt) was found with other European Rocahepevirus. All samples tested from other animal species, within the same environment, were negative for HEV. This is the first study to demonstrate the presence of HEV in rats from Romania. Since rat HEV has been reported to cause zoonotic infections in humans, this finding supports the need to extend the diagnosis of Rocahepevirus in humans with suspicion of hepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Porea
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania
- Laboratories and Research Stations Department, Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, 820112 Tulcea, Romania
| | - Cristian Raileanu
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania
| | - Luciana Alexandra Crivei
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania
- Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases, Zoonoses and Food Safety Iași, University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania
| | - Vasilica Gotu
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 011464 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Gheorghe Savuta
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania
- Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases, Zoonoses and Food Safety Iași, University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania
| | - Nicole Pavio
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de L'alimentation de L'environnement et du Travail (ANSES), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), UMR Virology, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
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de Oliveira JM, dos Santos DRL, Pinto MA. Hepatitis E Virus Research in Brazil: Looking Back and Forwards. Viruses 2023; 15:548. [PMID: 36851763 PMCID: PMC9965705 DOI: 10.3390/v15020548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has emerged as a public health concern in Brazil. From the first identification and characterization of porcine and human HEV-3 strains in the 2000s, new HEV subtypes have been identified from animal, human, and environmental isolates. As new potential animal reservoirs have emerged, there is a need to compile evidence on the zoonotic dissemination of the virus in animal hosts and the environment. The increasing amount of seroprevalence data on sampled and randomly selected populations must be systematically retrieved, interpreted, and considered under the One Health concept. This review focused on HEV seroprevalence data in distinct animal reservoirs and human populations reported in the last two decades. Furthermore, the expertise with experimental infection models using non-human primates may provide new insights into HEV pathogenesis, prevention, and environmental surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaqueline Mendes de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Alves Pinto
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
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