Hepatitis E virus in liver and bile samples from slaughtered pigs of Brazil

Noemi Rovaris Gardinali,Rodrigo Alejandro Arellano Otonel,Alice Fernandes Alfieri,Aline Fernandes Barry,Amauri Alcindo Alfieri

doi:10.1590/s0074-02762012000700016

Noemi Rovaris Gardinali, Rodrigo Alejandro Arellano Otonel + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0074-02762012000700016

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to detect and identify hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains in liver and bile samples from slaughtered pigs in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Liver and bile samples were collected from 118 asymptomatic adult pigs at a slaughterhouse in a major Brazilian pork production area. The samples were assayed using a nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction protocol with primer sets targeting open reading frames (ORF)1 and 2 of the HEV genome. HEV RNA was detected in two (1.7%) liver samples and one (0.84%) bile sample using both primers sets. The HEV strains were classified as genotype 3b on the basis of their nucleotide sequences. These data suggest that healthy pigs may be a source of HEV infection for consumers of pig liver and slaughterhouse workers in Brazil.

Highlights

The objective of this study was to detect and identify hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains in liver and bile samples from slaughtered pigs in the state of Paraná, Brazil
This member of the Hepevirus genus, which belongs to the Hepeviridae family, is a non-enveloped, single-stranded, positivesense RNA virus with a 7.2 kb genome that consists of three discontinuous open reading frames (ORFs) (Emerson & Purcell 2006)
Genotype 3 of HEV has been reported from pig farms and slaughterhouses in several regions of Brazil [the states of Mato Grosso, São Paulo (SP), Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and Pará (PA)] (Paiva et al 2007, dos Santos et al 2009, 2011, de Souza et al 2012)

Summary

Introduction

The objective of this study was to detect and identify hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains in liver and bile samples from slaughtered pigs in the state of Paraná, Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of HEV in porcine liver and bile samples at a slaughterhouse in PR and to perform a phylogenetic analysis of swine and human HEV strains circulating in Brazil for a comparison with strains circulating in other countries.

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