Fonti Niccolò, Pacini Maria Irene, Forzan Mario, Parisi Francesca, Periccioli Marcello, Mazzei Maurizio, Poli Alessandro
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Pisa, Viale delle Piagge, 2-56124 Pisa, Italy.
Unità Funzionale di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare Zona Distretto Grossetana, Dipartimento di Prevenzione, Azienda USL Toscana Sud Est, Amiata Grossetana e Colline Metallifere, Viale Cimabue, 109-58100 Grosseto, Italy.
Vet Sci. 2022 Feb 24;9(3):100. doi: 10.3390/vetsci9030100.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a common causative agent of acute hepatitis in the world, with a serious public health burden in both developing and industrialized countries. Cervids, along with wild boars and lagomorphs, are the main wild hosts of HEV in Europe and constitute a documented source of infection for humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of HEV in roe deer () and fallow deer () living in Tuscany, Central Italy. Liver samples from 48 roe deer and 60 fallow deer were collected from carcasses during the hunting seasons. Following the results obtained from molecular and histopathologic studies, 5/48 (10.4%) roe deer and 1/60 (1.7%) fallow deer liver samples were positive for the presence of HEV RNA. All PCR-positive livers were also IHC-positive for viral antigen presence, associated with degenerative and inflammatory lesions with predominantly CD3+ cellular infiltrates. This study represents the first identification in Italy of HEV RNA in roe and fallow deer and the first study in literature describing liver alterations associated with HEV infection in cervids. These results demonstrate that HEV is present in wild cervid populations in Italy and confirm the potential zoonotic role of these species.
戊型肝炎病毒(HEV)是全球急性肝炎的常见病原体,在发展中国家和工业化国家均造成严重的公共卫生负担。在欧洲,鹿类与野猪和兔形目动物一样,是戊型肝炎病毒的主要野生宿主,也是有记录的人类感染源。本研究旨在评估生活在意大利中部托斯卡纳地区的狍和黇鹿体内戊型肝炎病毒的存在情况。在狩猎季节从鹿的尸体上采集了48份狍和60份黇鹿的肝脏样本。根据分子和组织病理学研究结果,5/48(10.4%)份狍肝脏样本和1/60(1.7%)份黇鹿肝脏样本的戊型肝炎病毒RNA检测呈阳性。所有PCR阳性的肝脏在免疫组化检测中也呈病毒抗原阳性,伴有以CD3+细胞浸润为主的变性和炎症性病变。本研究是意大利首次在狍和黇鹿中鉴定出戊型肝炎病毒RNA,也是文献中首次描述鹿类动物中与戊型肝炎病毒感染相关的肝脏病变的研究。这些结果表明,戊型肝炎病毒存在于意大利的野生鹿类种群中,并证实了这些物种的潜在人畜共患病作用。