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 findings provide evidence for possible foodborne transmission of HEV during pork production.
Highlights
We investigated contamination by hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the pork production chain in the United Kingdom
During the past 10 years, hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection acquired in industrialized regions worldwide in the apparent absence of contaminated drinking water for fecal– oral transmission has been reported [1]
A small proportion of this exposure to HEV is likely to result from travel to regions to which the virus is endemic or migration from such regions [11]
Summary
We investigated contamination by hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the pork production chain in the United Kingdom. PCR indicated that 1 (1.3%) of 76 pig livers collected at retail outlets in southwestern England was positive for HEV [6]. The UK Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency investigated the pork food chain for HEV from slaughterhouse to point of sale.
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