Identification of the mcr-1 gene in Enterobacteriaceae from pigs confirms its presence in livestock in Great Britain. The results suggest dissemination of resistance through different horizontally transferable elements. The in vitro transfer of multiple plasmids carrying colistin and other resistances from the Salmonella isolate underlines the potential for wider dissemination and recombination.

We investigated viability of hepatitis E virus (HEV) identified in contaminated pork liver sausages obtained from France. HEV replication was demonstrated in 1 of 4 samples by using a 3-dimensional cell culture system. The risk for human infection with HEV by consumption of these sausages should be considered to be high.

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25Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute hepatitis in humans, and infects several animal species, 26 mostly asymptomatically. Swine and human HEV strains are genetically related suggesting 27 both a zoonotic and a possible foodborne transmission. The prevalence of swine HEV was 28 investigated in 274 randomly selected pigs from 6 different swine farms of Northern Italy, 29 testing viral RNA in stools by nested reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction. HEV 30 genome was detected in 115 stools (42%). All farms resulted positive for HEV, with a 31 prevalence ranging between 12.8% and 72.5%. HEV positive pigs were detected in all age 32 groups and production stages tested, although infection was more prevalent in weaners than in 33 the older fatteners (42.2% vs. 27.0%). Genetic characterization of swine strains identified was 34 performed by sequencing and database alignment. Phylogenetic analysis on the nucleotide 35 sequences from 16 positive PCR products indicated that all strains belonged to genotype 3. In 36 particular, one group of seven Italian strains clustered close (91.6% to 96.2% identity) to 37 human and swine European HEV strains. 38 39

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We investigated contamination by hepatitis E virus (HEV) in the pork production chain in the United Kingdom. We detected HEV in pig liver samples in a slaughterhouse, in surface samples from a processing plant, and in pork sausages and surface samples at point of sale. Our findings provide evidence for possible foodborne transmission of HEV during pork production.

BackgroundHepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 and 4 can cause liver disease in human and has its main reservoir in pigs. HEV investigations in pigs worldwide have been performed but there is still a lack of information on the infection dynamics in pig populations.FindingsThe HEV transmission dynamics in commercial pig farms in six different European countries was studied. The data collected show prevalence in weaners ranging from 8% to 30%. The average HEV prevalence in growers was between 20% and 44%. The fatteners prevalence ranged between 8% and 73%. Sows prevalence was similar in all countries. Boar faeces were tested for HEV only in Spain and Czech Republic, and the prevalence was 4.3% and 3.5% respectively. The collected data sets were analyzed using a recently developed model to estimate the transmission dynamics of HEV in the different countries confirming that HEV is endemic in pig farms.ConclusionsThis study has been performed using similar detection methods (real time RT-PCR) for all samples and the same model (SIR model) to analyse the data. Furthermore, it describes HEV prevalence and within-herd transmission dynamics in European Countries (EU): Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands and United Kingdom, confirming that HEV is circulating in pig farms from weaners to fatteners and that the reproductive number mathematical defined as R0 is in the same range for all countries studied.