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SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF HEPATITIS E VIRUS INFECTION IN DIFFERENT ANIMAL SPECIES FROM THE SOUTHEAST OF BRAZIL
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Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto Biomédico. Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia. Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Reference in Viral Hepatitis. Division of Viral Hepatitis. Atlanta, GA, USA.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Reference in Viral Hepatitis. Division of Viral Hepatitis. Atlanta, GA, USA.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil
Abstract
Serological evidence of hepatitis E virus infection (HEV) has been observed in both humans and different animal
species living in non-endemic areas, suggesting that animals could be important reservoir for virus transmission to
man. Antibodies to HEV have been detected in some Brazilian population groups. Nevertheless, sporadic cases of
acute HEV infection have never been reported. We collected 271 serum samples from several domestic animals and
also from pig handlers from Southeast of Brazil in order to investigate the seroprevalence of HEV infection. AntiHEV IgG was detected in cows (1.42%), dogs (6.97%), chickens (20%), swines (24.3%), and rodents (50%), as well
as in pig handlers (6.3%). The recognition of swine HEV infections in pigs in many countries of the world led us to
investigate a larger sample of pigs (n = 357) from the same Brazilian region with ages ranging from 1 to > 25 weeks.
IgG anti-HEV was detected in 100% of 7-day old pigs. Following a gradual decline between weeks 2 and 8
(probably due to loss of maternal IgG), the prevalence then steady increased until it reached 97.3% of animals older
than 25 weeks. Besides the detection of anti-HEV antibodies in different animal species, the results showed that
swine HEV infection seems to be almost universal within this Brazilian pig population. This is the first report that
shows evidences of HEV circulation in Brazilian animal species and pig handlers.
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