engleski

Detection and phylogenetic analysis of Hepatitis E virus in Croatian wild boar serum, liver and spleen samples

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis in humans, nowadays. The causative agent of hepatitis E is an RNA virus belonging to the genus Hepevirus, family Hepeviridae. Four HEV genotypes have been recognized so far. Genotypes 1 and 2 are human specific, while genotypes 3 and 4 are isolated from other mammals, as well. Hepatitis E is an important public health problem with a possibility of zoonotic transmission through contact with infected animals or through environmental exposure. Using two different RT-PCR protocols, HEV RNA was detected in 66 out of 536 (12.3%) serum, liver and spleen samples collected from wild boars. For four positive samples, genetic variability was studied by SSCP and sequence analysis of cloned coat protein (CP) and methyl-transferase (MeT) HEV gene fragments. Both of the used methods derived the same results. The analyzed sequences clustered into phylogenetic group 3, subgroups 3a and 3e. The highest identity of Croatian sequences with HEV reference sequences obtained by BLAST analysis was observed for MeT region. Croatian isolates from subgroup 3a displayed the highest genetic identity (97.5%) with a Hungarian swine isolate, while the one from the subgroup 3e showed 97.5% nucleotide identity with a German human HEV isolate.

Hepatitis E virus; phylogenetic analysis; wild boar; Croatia

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