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Transboundary and emerging diseases2018; 66(1); 66-71; doi: 10.1111/tbed.12962

Hepatitis E virus infection in equines in Spain.

Abstract: Hepatitis E (HE) is an important emerging disease in European countries. To analyse the role of equids as potential reservoirs for HE virus (HEV), we determined the prevalence of HEV infection in 861 equines from 464 herds in Spain. HEV RNA in serum was detected in 0.4% (3/692) of horses, 1.2% (1/86) of donkeys and 3.6% (3/83) of mules. Phylogenetic analysis identified the zoonotic genotype 3 as being closely related to viral human and swine strains. In this first report on HEV in equids in Europe, we confirm the susceptibility of horses, donkeys and mules to HEV infection. The low prevalence detected indicates that equids may be considered spillover hosts rather than true reservoirs.
© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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Publication Date: 2018-07-26 PubMed ID: 30047239DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12962Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article discusses the investigation into the prevalence of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among horses, donkeys, and mules in Spain to better understand their roles as potential reservoirs for the disease. The retention of the virus among these equines was found to be low, indicating that they may serve as incidental hosts rather than primary carriers of the virus.

Methodology

  • The research study analyzed the prevalence of HEV infection among 861 equines from 464 herds in Spain. These included horses, donkeys, and mules.
  • The researchers tested for HEV RNA in the serum of these subjects to detect any presence of the virus.
  • Furthermore, the identified HEV strains were subject to phylogenetic analysis for a comprehensive understanding of their genotype. This aids in correlating their similarity with human and swine strains.

Findings

  • HEV RNA in serum was identified in 0.4% of the horses, 1.2% of the donkeys, and 3.6% of the mules tested. The presence of the virus, though confirmed, was noted to be relatively low.
  • The phylogenetic analysis highlighted zoonotic genotype 3, finding it to be closely related to the virus strains found in humans and pigs.

Conclusions

  • This research confirms that horses, donkeys, and mules are susceptible to HEV infection.
  • However, the study also infers that the low prevalence of the virus among these species indicates that they may act as spillover hosts. This implies that they become infected incidentally, usually from a different primary host, rather than acting as primary reservoirs for the disease.
  • This study, holding the distinction of being the first report on HEV in equids in Europe, broadens the understanding of the spread and the hosts of HEV, which is considered an emerging disease in many European countries.

Cite This Article

APA
García-Bocanegra I, Rivero A, Caballero-Gómez J, López-López P, Cano-Terriza D, Frías M, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Risalde MA, Gómez-Villamandos JC, Rivero-Juarez A. (2018). Hepatitis E virus infection in equines in Spain. Transbound Emerg Dis, 66(1), 66-71. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.12962

Publication

Transboundary and emerging diseases
ISSN: 1865-1682
NlmUniqueID: 101319538
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 66
Issue: 1
Pages: 66-71

Researcher Affiliations

García-Bocanegra, Ignacio
  • Animal Health Department, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
Rivero, Antonio
  • Infectious Diseases Unit, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.
Caballero-Gómez, Javier
  • Animal Health Department, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
López-López, Pedro
  • Infectious Diseases Unit, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.
Cano-Terriza, David
  • Animal Health Department, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
Frías, Mario
  • Infectious Diseases Unit, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.
Jiménez-Ruiz, Saul
  • Animal Health Department, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
Risalde, Maria A
  • Infectious Diseases Unit, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.
Gómez-Villamandos, Jose C
  • Animal Pathology Department, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
Rivero-Juarez, Antonio
  • Infectious Diseases Unit, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis E / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis E / veterinary
  • Hepatitis E / virology
  • Hepatitis E virus / genetics
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / virology
  • Horses
  • Phylogeny
  • Prevalence
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Zoonoses / epidemiology
  • Zoonoses / virology

Grant Funding

  • RD12/0017/0012 / Ministerio de Sanidad
  • PI16/01297 / Fundación para la Investigación en Salud (FIS) del Instituto Carlos III
  • ISCIII-Subdirección General de Evaluación
  • Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)

Citations

This article has been cited 20 times.
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