Detection of hepatitis E virus in wild boars of rural and urban regions in Germany and whole genome characterization of an endemic strain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hepatitis E is an increasingly diagnosed human disease in Central Europe. Besides domestic pigs, in which hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is highly prevalent, wild boars have been identified as a possible source of human infection. In order to assess the distribution of HEV in the wild boar population of Germany, we tested liver samples originating from different geographical regions for the presence of the HEV genome and compared the detected sequences to animal and human HEV strains.

Results

A total of 148 wild boar liver samples were tested using real-time RT-PCR resulting in an average HEV detection rate of 14.9% (95% CI 9.6-21.6). HEV was detected in all age classes and all geographical regions. However, the prevalence of HEV infection was significantly hig

SUBMITTER: Schielke A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2689194 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature