Abstract

FORERO, J. E; PARRA, J. E  and  LOPEZ, A. DETECTION OF HEPATITIS E VIRUS (HEV) GENOME FROM PIGS FECES SAMPLES IN SLAUGHTERHOUSES IN ANTIOQUIA, COLOMBIA. Rev. Med. Vet. Zoot. [online]. 2014, vol.61, n.3, pp.221-227. ISSN 0120-2952.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rfmvz.v61n3.46868.

The Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is one of the causative agents of acute liver disease in humans, although it can also lead to chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. There are four genotypes that generate human disease: genotypes 1 and 2, associated with outbreaks due to consumption of contaminated waters, and genotypes 3 and 4 by zoonotic transmission, implicated in sporadic outbreaks in developed countries, where pigs are the main reservoir. In Colombia there is serological evidence of infection in humans and pigs: the viral genome has been detected in livers of pigs at slaughterhouses and butcher shops; however is not enough known about the infection in the country. In order to find out whether pigs in Antioquia (Colombia) are excreting the virus, the presence of the viral genome by RT-PCR was determined in 152 samples of pig feces obtained at five slaughterhouses of Antioquia, which came from different regions of the department. The percentage of positivity was 26.9% (41/152) and pigs that came from the North and East subregions of Antioquia had the lowest (11.6%) and higher (58.3%) percentage of positive samples, respectively. These results indicate that pigs at slaughter age are excreting the virus in their feces and that HEV is circulating in different subregions of the department.

Keywords : Hepatitis E Virus; swine; zoonoses; RT-PCR.

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