Article
Microbiology
Romasa Ahmed, Neda Nasheri
Summary: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a single-stranded RNA virus responsible for acute hepatitis in humans. Different genotypes of HEV have different host ranges, with some infecting only humans and primates while others infect humans and other mammals. HEV spreads mainly through the fecal-oral route, but certain genotypes can also be transmitted from animals to humans through feces, direct contact, and ingestion of contaminated meat products. Understanding the potential animal reservoirs for this virus is crucial for effective risk management and mitigation.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Matteo Crotta, Luca Pellicioli, Alessandra Gaffuri, Tiziana Trogu, Nicoletta Formenti, Vito Tranquillo, Camilla Luzzago, Nicola Ferrari, Paolo Lanfranchi
Summary: Seroprevalence data of Toxoplasma gondii and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in wild boar, roe deer, red deer, mouflon, and chamois in northern Italy indicates a higher prevalence of both pathogens in wild boars. Roe deer, red deer, and mouflons in the pre-Alpine environment show higher probability of being positive for T. gondii, while mouflons in the Alpine environment have a higher probability for HEV. Co-exposure to both pathogens is more limited, observed mainly in wild boars.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Dong Ying, Qiyu He, Weikun Tian, Yanling Chen, Xiaoping Zhang, Siling Wang, Chang Liu, Zihao Chen, Yu Liu, Lijuan Fu, Li Yan, Ling Wang, Zimin Tang, Lin Wang, Zizheng Zheng, Ningshao Xia
Summary: This study revealed the origin and diagnostic value of urine Ag in HEV infection, demonstrating that urine Ag has higher diagnostic sensitivity than serum, appears earlier and lasts longer, and shows good concordance with fecal RNA.
Article
Immunology
Siddharth Sridhar, Cyril Chik-Yan Yip, Kelvin Hon-Yin Lo, Shusheng Wu, Jianwen Situ, Nicholas Foo-Siong Chew, Kit-Hang Leung, Helen Shuk-Ying Chan, Sally Cheuk-Ying Wong, Anthony Wai-Shing Leung, Cindy Wing-Sze Tse, Kitty S. C. Fung, Owen Tak-Yin Tsang, Kam-Lun Hon, Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng, Ken Ho-Leung Ng, Kwok-Yung Yuen
Summary: This study investigated human HEV-C1 infections detected in Hong Kong, with a focus on outcomes in immunocompromised individuals. The findings showed that immunocompromised HEV-C1-infected patients frequently progress to persistent HEV-C1 infection, for which ribavirin is a suitable treatment option.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C-Patrick Papp, Paula Biedermann, Dominik Harms, Bo Wang, Marianne Kebelmann, Mira Choi, Johannes Helmuth, Victor M. Corman, Andrea Thuermer, Britta Altmann, Patrycja Klink, Joerg Hofmann, C-Thomas Bock
Summary: The awareness of hepatitis E virus (HEV) has significantly increased in the last decade due to its unexpectedly high prevalence in high-income countries. However, the spectrum and occurrence of HEV-3 variants are underreported. A new molecular approach utilizing long-range PCR and next-generation and third-generation sequencing was used to gain in-depth insights into the viral population and to characterize HEV-3 genomes. The approach identified a variant with multiple insertions in the HVR-domain, which is the first of its kind recognized.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Manyu Li, Yan Wang, Kejian Li, Haiyun Lan, Cheng Zhou
Summary: In this study, key genes in the chronic infection of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in rabbits were investigated using bioinformatics and experimental analysis. MX1, OAS2, and IFI44 were found to be significantly upregulated in rabbits with chronic HEV infection, suggesting their potential involvement in the pathogenesis of HEV chronicity.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gianfranco La Bella, Maria Grazia Basanisi, Gaia Nobili, Valentina Terio, Elisabetta Suffredini, Giovanna La Salandra
Summary: This study detected HEV virus in shellfish sold in the Apulia region of Italy, with two samples testing positive, accounting for 0.89%. This is the first detection of HEV in retail mussels in the region, highlighting the potential role of shellfish as a vehicle for viral pathogens transmission.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Virology
Aron Balazs Ulbert, Matyas Bhurka, Anett Magyari, Zita Turi, Edit Hajdu, Katalin Burian, Gabriella Terhes
Summary: In this study, the epidemiological features of HEV infections among patients in various departments of a university hospital in Hungary were determined. The study found a high seroprevalence of HEV IgG antibodies in adult and elderly patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Zhongren Ma, Robert A. de Man, Nassim Kamar, Qiuwei Pan
Summary: The understanding and management of chronic hepatitis E have made some progress, but there are still many unanswered questions and challenges that require further advancement in research and patient care.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ingo Schaefer, Axel Peukert, Katharina Kerner, Elisabeth Mueller
Summary: Bacterial, protozoal, and viral vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) can cause infections in cats. There is little information on feline VBP prevalence in Germany. Stray cats are frequently exposed to vectors but receive no veterinary care. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of selected VBPs in stray cats. Overall, 11/50 (22%) and 32/50 (64%) cats tested positive for at least one VBP by direct and indirect detection methods, respectively.
Article
Microbiology
Anastasia A. A. Karlsen, Vera S. S. Kichatova, Karen K. K. Kyuregyan, Mikhail I. I. Mikhailov
Summary: HEV-3 and HEV- 4 show stable transmission patterns in deer species, indicating they may be true hosts. However, swine are the primary source of infection for deer and other ruminants. Further understanding of HEV-3 and HEV-4 circulation in wildlife requires complete genomic sequences from different regions.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Natalia Maramarque Nespolo
Summary: Many people overlook the quality and origin of animal products when consuming them, which can lead to health risks. Educating consumers about the importance of hygiene control in the production process is essential for changing consumption habits and preventing the ingestion of contaminated foods that can harm human health.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Kristyna Hrazdilova, Paulina Maria Lesiczka, Jan Bardon, Sarka Vyroubalova, Bronislav Simek, Ludek Zurek, David Modry
Summary: The study focused on detecting and genetically characterizing A. phagocytophilum and piroplasmids in wild boars from the Czech Republic, finding that some wild boars carry different haplotypes of A. phagocytophilum, while one sample tested positive for Babesia divergens. This suggests the involvement of wild boars in the host spectrum of tick-borne pathogens, highlighting the need for further research on the potential role of wild boars as reservoirs of zoonotic haplotypes of A. phagocytophilum.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
David Cano-Terriza, Juan J. Franco, Eduard Jose-Cunilleras, Francesco Buono, Sonia Almeria, Vincenzo Veneziano, Eduardo Alguacil, Jesus Garcia, Isabelle Villena, Jitender P. Dubey, Debora Jimenez-Martin, Ignacio Garcia-Bocanegra
Summary: This cross-sectional study investigated the exposure of equids in Europe to Toxoplasma gondii, a worldwide parasitic zoonosis caused by an intracellular protozoan. Serum samples from 1399 equids bred in Italy, Spain, UK, and Ireland were collected, and T. gondii seroprevalence was determined. The overall seroprevalence was 18.9%, with higher rates in Italy (27.1%) and lower rates in UK (12.0%) and Ireland (7.0%). Horses had a seropositivity of 12.8%, while donkeys and mules/hinnies had higher rates of 43.7% and 28.9%, respectively. The study highlights the potential risk of human infection through the consumption of raw/undercooked milk or meat from these equid species.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Patricia Barroso, Maria A. Risalde, Ignacio Garcia-Bocanegra, Pelayo Acevedo, Jose Angel Barasona, Javier Caballero-Gomez, Saul Jimenez-Ruiz, Antonio Rivero-Juarez, Vidal Montoro, Joaquin Vicente
Summary: The study identified the main long-term drivers of HEV exposure in the wild boar population of Donana National Park in southwestern Spain, showing that changes in population control and climatic conditions play a significant role. Various factors, including individual, environmental, and populational elements, influence the exposure of wild boar to HEV. The preferential use of certain areas by wild boar and specific meteorological conditions may contribute to the level of HEV exposure.