Abstract
Information on hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains circulating in animal reservoirs in Bulgaria is currently lacking. Herein, by screening HEV seropositive sera obtained from Bulgarian swine and wild boars, viral RNA was detected at high prevalence rate (28.2%) in industrial pigs. Sequence analysis of the partial polymerase (RdRp) region revealed the highest genetic correlation with HEVs of genotype (Gt) 3 identified in French and Dutch patients. For three such strains, a 700-bp fragment of the open reading frame 2 gene was generated. On phylogenetic analysis, the Bulgarian strains clustered tightly (93.8–98.3% nt) with human and animal HEVs classified within the Gt3 subtype c.
Highlights
Ten sera were collected from fattening pigs bred in an industrial farrow-to-finish farm in Vidin district (Northern Bulgaria), an additional ten were from fattening pigs farmed in an industrial Southern Bulgaria herd located in the Yambol district, and a further group of nine sera was collected from fattening East Balkan swine in Burgas district (Eastern Bulgaria)
On molecular screening by qRT-PCR of 39 serum samples, hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was detected in a total of 11 sera (28.2%; 11/39) (Table 2) with viral loads ranging from 1.5 × 10 3 to 7.0 × 10 4 RNA copies/mL of template
None of the sera from East Balkan swine and from wild boars tested positive for HEV RNA
Summary
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the main cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. HEV causes mostly self-limiting hepatitis, infection in immunosuppressed patients such as organ transplant recipients can progress into chronicity [1]. The possible association between HEV infection and extrahepatic manifestations including neurological and renal injuries has been hypothesized [2]. HEV, classified in the family Hepeviridae, is a singlestranded, positive-sense RNA virus of ~7.2 kb in length that in the infected host exists in two distinct forms, as non-enveloped (neHEV) particle of approximately 27–34 nm in diameter when secreted in the feces [3], or as quasi-enveloped (eHEV) virion in circulating blood and in the supernatant of infected cell cultures [4]. The species Orthohepevirus A includes at least eight distinct genotypes (Gts), with four major Gts (1–4) implicated in human disease. Gt1 and Gt2 infections are restricted to humans and cause large epidemics in developing countries due to poor sanitation and lack of clean drinking water, while Gt3 and Gt4 are zoonotic and cause sporadic and cluster cases of hepatitis E in both industrialized and developing countries [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
