Serological evidence of hepatitis E virus infection in pigs from Northern Bulgaria

Authors

  • Ilia Tsachev Department of Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3207-7603
  • Magdalena Baymakova Department of Infectious Diseases, Military Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2631-0563
  • Kiril K. Dimitrov Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
  • Krasimira Gospodinova Department of Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
  • Plamen Marutsov Department of Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
  • Roman Pepovich Department of Infectious Pathology, Hygiene, Technology and Control of Foods from Animal Origin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7812-5589
  • Todor Kundurzhiev Department of Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9087-1728
  • Massimo Ciccozzi Unit of Medical Statistics and Molecular Epidemiology, Universita Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3866-9239
  • Harry R. Dalton Queens Park, London, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.2341.14461.1

Keywords:

Hepatitis E virus, Industrial farms, Northern Bulgaria, Pigs

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate pigs in Northern Bulgaria for serological evidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV). Sera from 225 individuals from three industrial farms were tested for anti‑HEV IgG antibodies. The overall HEV seroprevalence was 36% (81/225); weaners 6.8% (5/74); fattening pigs 38.7% (29/75) and in sows 61.8% (47/76). Compared to weaners, HEV positivity was higher in fattening pigs and sows: OR = 8.70 (95% CI: 3.14‑24.12) and OR = 22.37 (95% CI: 8.07‑61.96), respectively. These data confirm that HEV is endemic in pigs throughout Bulgaria, and can be a Public Health problem due to the transmission of HЕV to humans through the consumption of pork meat and pork products.

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Published

2021-07-27

How to Cite

Tsachev, I. ., Baymakova, M., Dimitrov, K. K. ., Gospodinova, K. ., Marutsov, P. ., Pepovich, R. ., Kundurzhiev, T. ., Ciccozzi, M. ., & Dalton, H. R. . (2021). Serological evidence of hepatitis E virus infection in pigs from Northern Bulgaria. Veterinaria Italiana, 57(2), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.2341.14461.1

Issue

Vol. 57 No. 2 (2021)

Topics*

Short communication