Control of Raw Pork Liver Sausage Production Can Reduce the Prevalence of HEV Infection

Abstract

After an acute hepatitis E (HEV) outbreak in Southern Switzerland, in January 2017 the local public health authorities started an active program of food chain control and public education. In this retrospective study, we analysed all laboratory-confirmed acute cases of HEV infection diagnosed between 2014 and 2020. In the period before the public health intervention, the number of cases increased steadily from 2014 (4 of 40 tests, 10%) reaching a peak in the last quarter of 2016 (42 of 285 tests, 14.7 %). Afterwards, the number of positive cases decreased steadily, reaching its lowest value (0.3%) in the second quarter of 2019. There was a statistically significant difference between the frequency of positive cases and period of testing, i.e., before and after the introduction of the public health interventions. Our study shows that active public health measures to control sausages containing raw pork liver can reduce the prevalence of HEV infection.

Development of a Sensitive and Specific Quantitative RT-qPCR Method for the Detection of Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 in Porcine Liver and Foodstuff

“…It can therefore make a significant contribution to protecting consumers from HEV infection by improving food safety through better identification of critical control points in the processing of HEV-contaminated pork liver and through sensitive monitoring of potentially contaminated food. Further research is required to investigate the occurrence and development of the hepatitis E virus in the European food chain [24], including substantial screening of animal food stuffs, particularly pig liver, and more precise recording of the possible food-related spread. Finally, the JBH4_HEV RT-qPCR assay is a suitable tool for generating comprehensive and detailed data to fill these gaps.…”

Changes in Hepatitis E Virus Contamination during the Production of Liver Sausage from Naturally Contaminated Pig Liver and the Potential of Individual Production Parameters to Reduce Hepatitis E Virus Contamination in the Processing Chain

“…To achieve a lower prevalence of HEV contamination in ready-to-eat foods in retail, it is, therefore, all the more important to monitor the spread of HEV in the pig population and the processed raw materials. Determining that the animals are HEV negative and carrying out a thorough screening of raw materials prior to and during production will most likely help to reduce HEV contamination and thus minimise infections [ 15 , 51 ].…”

“…However, as the disease hardly seems to lead to recognisable clinical symptoms in pigs [ 14 ], comprehensive screening in primary production is extremely difficult. Therefore, methods and tests for detecting HEV contaminations within the food chain and during the processing of raw materials are of great value [ 15 ].…”

Neuropathies related to hepatitis E virus infection: A prospective, matched case–control study

“…In developed countries, including European countries, awareness of HEV infection is constantly increasing [1,2]. In Switzerland, the IgG seroprevalence of the disease is high (around 30%) [3], demanding increased awareness of the health authorities [4,5]. HEV can cause not only life-threatening acute hepatitis, but also extrahepatic manifestations [6], notably neurological diseases [7][8][9][10][11] with a tropism for the peripheral nervous system.…”