Santos-Silva Sérgio, Palmeira Josman D, Ferreira Helena, Romalde Jesús L, Gonçalves Helena M R, Van der Poel Wim H M, Nascimento Maria S J, Rivero-Juarez António, Mesquita João R
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
UCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Vet Res Commun. 2025 Jul 30;49(5):265. doi: 10.1007/s11259-025-10839-0.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is widely recognized as an emerging public health issue in developed countries, with most infections linked to foodborne transmission of genotype HEV-3. This zoonotic genotype can infect a diverse range of mammalian species, including bovine, with pigs serving as the primary reservoir. The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence, circulation, and the potential of HEV infection among bovines in Portugal. Stool samples were collected from 166 bovines raised on extensive and intensive farms in Portugal, from June one to July 31, 2015. For the detection of HEV RNA a nested broad-spectrum RT-PCR targeting the ORF1 region was used. HEV RNA was not detected in any of the fecal samples analyzed. Although no HEV RNA was detected in bovine fecal samples, spiking of the samples with mengovirus demonstrated an acceptable RNA recovery rate, ensuring the reliability of RNA extraction and subsequent molecular analysis performed. Further research could provide additional insights into the factors influencing HEV transmission dynamics in bovines and its potential implications for public health.
戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）在发达国家被广泛认为是一个新出现的公共卫生问题，大多数感染与食源性传播的HEV-3基因型有关。这种人畜共患基因型可感染包括牛在内的多种哺乳动物，猪是主要宿主。本研究的目的是调查葡萄牙牛群中HEV感染的发生情况、传播情况以及潜在风险。2015年6月1日至7月31日，从葡萄牙粗放式和集约化养殖场饲养的166头牛中采集粪便样本。采用针对开放阅读框1（ORF1）区域的巢式广谱逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测HEV RNA。在所分析的任何粪便样本中均未检测到HEV RNA。尽管在牛粪便样本中未检测到HEV RNA，但用脑心肌炎病毒对样本进行加标显示RNA回收率可接受，确保了RNA提取及后续分子分析的可靠性。进一步的研究可以为影响牛群中HEV传播动态的因素及其对公共卫生的潜在影响提供更多见解。
