Hepatitis E virus infection in North Italy: high seroprevalence in swine herds and increased risk for swine workers

L Mughini-Gras; Giorgia Angeloni; C Salata; N Vonesch; W D'Amico; G Campagna; Alda Natale; Federica Zuliani; Letizia Ceglie; Isabella Monne; M Vascellari; Katia Capello; G DI Martino; N Inglese; G Palù; P Tomao; L. Bonfanti

doi:10.1017/S0950268817002485

Hepatitis E virus infection in North Italy: high seroprevalence in swine herds and increased risk for swine workers

L Mughini-Gras^*, Giorgia Angeloni, C Salata, N Vonesch, W D'Amico, G Campagna, Alda Natale, Federica Zuliani, Letizia Ceglie, Isabella Monne, M Vascellari, Katia Capello, G DI Martino, N Inglese, G Palù, P Tomao, L. Bonfanti

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

We determined the hepatitis E virus (HEV) seroprevalence and detection rate in commercial swine herds in Italy's utmost pig-rich area, and assessed HEV seropositivity risk in humans as a function of occupational exposure to pigs, diet, foreign travel, medical history and hunting activities. During 2011-2014, 2700 sera from 300 swine herds were tested for anti-HEV IgG. HEV RNA was searched in 959 faecal pools from HEV-seropositive herds and in liver/bile/muscle samples from 179 pigs from HEV-positive herds. A cohort study of HEV seropositivity in swine workers (n = 149) was also performed using two comparison groups of people unexposed to swine: omnivores (n = 121) and vegetarians/vegans (n = 115). Herd-level seroprevalence was 75·6% and was highest in farrow-to-feeder herds (81·6%). Twenty-six out of 105 (24·8%) herds had HEV-positive faecal samples (25 HEV-3, one HEV-4). Only one bile sample tested positive. HEV seropositivity was 12·3% in swine workers, 0·9% in omnivores and 3·0% in vegetarians/vegans. Factors significantly associated with HEV seropositivity were occupational exposure to pigs, travel to Africa and increased swine workers' age. We concluded that HEV is widespread in Italian swine herds and HEV-4 circulation is alarming given its pathogenicity, with those occupationally exposed to pigs being at increased risk of HEV seropositivity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3375-3384
Number of pages	10
Journal	Epidemiology and Infection
Volume	145
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268817002485
Publication status	Published - Dec 2017

Keywords

Epidemiology
hepatitis E virus
hygiene
zoonotic infections

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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hepatitis_e_virus_infection_in_north_italy_high_seroprevalence_in_swine_herds_and_increased_risk_for_swine_workers (1)Final published version, 227 KBLicence: Taverne

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Mughini-Gras, L., Angeloni, G., Salata, C., Vonesch, N., D'Amico, W., Campagna, G., Natale, A., Zuliani, F., Ceglie, L., Monne, I., Vascellari, M., Capello, K., DI Martino, G., Inglese, N., Palù, G., Tomao, P., & Bonfanti, L. (2017). Hepatitis E virus infection in North Italy: high seroprevalence in swine herds and increased risk for swine workers. Epidemiology and Infection, 145(16), 3375-3384. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268817002485

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title = "Hepatitis E virus infection in North Italy: high seroprevalence in swine herds and increased risk for swine workers",

abstract = "We determined the hepatitis E virus (HEV) seroprevalence and detection rate in commercial swine herds in Italy's utmost pig-rich area, and assessed HEV seropositivity risk in humans as a function of occupational exposure to pigs, diet, foreign travel, medical history and hunting activities. During 2011-2014, 2700 sera from 300 swine herds were tested for anti-HEV IgG. HEV RNA was searched in 959 faecal pools from HEV-seropositive herds and in liver/bile/muscle samples from 179 pigs from HEV-positive herds. A cohort study of HEV seropositivity in swine workers (n = 149) was also performed using two comparison groups of people unexposed to swine: omnivores (n = 121) and vegetarians/vegans (n = 115). Herd-level seroprevalence was 75·6\% and was highest in farrow-to-feeder herds (81·6\%). Twenty-six out of 105 (24·8\%) herds had HEV-positive faecal samples (25 HEV-3, one HEV-4). Only one bile sample tested positive. HEV seropositivity was 12·3\% in swine workers, 0·9\% in omnivores and 3·0\% in vegetarians/vegans. Factors significantly associated with HEV seropositivity were occupational exposure to pigs, travel to Africa and increased swine workers' age. We concluded that HEV is widespread in Italian swine herds and HEV-4 circulation is alarming given its pathogenicity, with those occupationally exposed to pigs being at increased risk of HEV seropositivity.",

keywords = "Epidemiology, hepatitis E virus, hygiene, zoonotic infections",

author = "L Mughini-Gras and Giorgia Angeloni and C Salata and N Vonesch and W D'Amico and G Campagna and Alda Natale and Federica Zuliani and Letizia Ceglie and Isabella Monne and M Vascellari and Katia Capello and \{DI Martino\}, G and N Inglese and G Pal{\`u} and P Tomao and L. Bonfanti",

year = "2017",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1017/S0950268817002485",

language = "English",

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Mughini-Gras, L, Angeloni, G, Salata, C, Vonesch, N, D'Amico, W, Campagna, G, Natale, A, Zuliani, F, Ceglie, L, Monne, I, Vascellari, M, Capello, K, DI Martino, G, Inglese, N, Palù, G, Tomao, P & Bonfanti, L 2017, 'Hepatitis E virus infection in North Italy: high seroprevalence in swine herds and increased risk for swine workers', Epidemiology and Infection, vol. 145, no. 16, pp. 3375-3384. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268817002485

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hepatitis E virus infection in North Italy

T2 - high seroprevalence in swine herds and increased risk for swine workers

AU - Mughini-Gras, L

AU - Angeloni, Giorgia

AU - Salata, C

AU - Vonesch, N

AU - D'Amico, W

AU - Campagna, G

AU - Natale, Alda

AU - Zuliani, Federica

AU - Ceglie, Letizia

AU - Monne, Isabella

AU - Vascellari, M

AU - Capello, Katia

AU - DI Martino, G

AU - Inglese, N

AU - Palù, G

AU - Tomao, P

AU - Bonfanti, L.

PY - 2017/12

Y1 - 2017/12

N2 - We determined the hepatitis E virus (HEV) seroprevalence and detection rate in commercial swine herds in Italy's utmost pig-rich area, and assessed HEV seropositivity risk in humans as a function of occupational exposure to pigs, diet, foreign travel, medical history and hunting activities. During 2011-2014, 2700 sera from 300 swine herds were tested for anti-HEV IgG. HEV RNA was searched in 959 faecal pools from HEV-seropositive herds and in liver/bile/muscle samples from 179 pigs from HEV-positive herds. A cohort study of HEV seropositivity in swine workers (n = 149) was also performed using two comparison groups of people unexposed to swine: omnivores (n = 121) and vegetarians/vegans (n = 115). Herd-level seroprevalence was 75·6% and was highest in farrow-to-feeder herds (81·6%). Twenty-six out of 105 (24·8%) herds had HEV-positive faecal samples (25 HEV-3, one HEV-4). Only one bile sample tested positive. HEV seropositivity was 12·3% in swine workers, 0·9% in omnivores and 3·0% in vegetarians/vegans. Factors significantly associated with HEV seropositivity were occupational exposure to pigs, travel to Africa and increased swine workers' age. We concluded that HEV is widespread in Italian swine herds and HEV-4 circulation is alarming given its pathogenicity, with those occupationally exposed to pigs being at increased risk of HEV seropositivity.

AB - We determined the hepatitis E virus (HEV) seroprevalence and detection rate in commercial swine herds in Italy's utmost pig-rich area, and assessed HEV seropositivity risk in humans as a function of occupational exposure to pigs, diet, foreign travel, medical history and hunting activities. During 2011-2014, 2700 sera from 300 swine herds were tested for anti-HEV IgG. HEV RNA was searched in 959 faecal pools from HEV-seropositive herds and in liver/bile/muscle samples from 179 pigs from HEV-positive herds. A cohort study of HEV seropositivity in swine workers (n = 149) was also performed using two comparison groups of people unexposed to swine: omnivores (n = 121) and vegetarians/vegans (n = 115). Herd-level seroprevalence was 75·6% and was highest in farrow-to-feeder herds (81·6%). Twenty-six out of 105 (24·8%) herds had HEV-positive faecal samples (25 HEV-3, one HEV-4). Only one bile sample tested positive. HEV seropositivity was 12·3% in swine workers, 0·9% in omnivores and 3·0% in vegetarians/vegans. Factors significantly associated with HEV seropositivity were occupational exposure to pigs, travel to Africa and increased swine workers' age. We concluded that HEV is widespread in Italian swine herds and HEV-4 circulation is alarming given its pathogenicity, with those occupationally exposed to pigs being at increased risk of HEV seropositivity.

KW - Epidemiology

KW - hepatitis E virus

KW - hygiene

KW - zoonotic infections

U2 - 10.1017/S0950268817002485

DO - 10.1017/S0950268817002485

M3 - Article

C2 - 29145911

SN - 0950-2688

VL - 145

SP - 3375

EP - 3384

JO - Epidemiology and Infection

JF - Epidemiology and Infection

IS - 16

ER -

Hepatitis E virus infection in North Italy: high seroprevalence in swine herds and increased risk for swine workers

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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