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Serological evidence of hepatitis E virus infection in pigs from Northern Bulgaria
Vol. 57 No. 2 (2021), Short communication
Vol. 57 No. 2 (2021)

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

Short communication
https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.2341.14461.1
Published 2021-07-27
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
VetIt.2341.14461.1

Keywords

Hepatitis E virus
Industrial farms
Northern Bulgaria
Pigs

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
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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.

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

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