No evidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among pet cats and dogs, and low seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus among pet rabbits in Poland

Abstract

The seroprevalence of Paslahepevirus balayani genotype 3 (hepatitis E virus genotype 3 – HEV-3; Hepeviridae family, genus Paslahepevirus) in pet cats, dogs and rabbits was evaluated. Samples from cats and dogs were collected from three veterinary practices from various parts of Poland: Poznan (wielkopolskie voivodeship), Przemysl (podkarpackie voivodeship) and Lublin (lubelskie voivodeship). Samples from rabbits were collected in Poznan. In total, serum samples from 90 cats, 82 dogs and 71 rabbits were selected and tested for specific anti-HEV-3 immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies using a commercial ELISA test. Pathogen seroprevalence among rabbits was calculated at a 95% confidence interval (CI) for each gender, age (up to 12 months, 1–3 years, 4–7 years and over 8 years), symptoms group (healthy, gastrointestinal disorders, other disorders) and compared with a chi-squared test. No anti-HEV-3 IgG antibodies were detected in any of the samples from cats and dogs. Anti-HEV-3 IgG antibodies were detected in 2.82% of the serum samples from rabbits (2/71; 95% CI: 0.78–9.70). No significant correlations between seropositivity and gender, age, and symptoms (p > 0.05) were observed in rabbits. Our findings indicate that pet rabbits in Poland are exposed to HEV-3, develop humoral response due to infection and might constitute a source for HEV-3 transmission to humans.

Detection of anti-HEV antibodies but no molecular positivity in dogs in the Campania region, southern Italy

“…The involvement of other mammals in the viral cycle complicates this relatively simple epidemiological scenario. While the role of lagomorphs as secondary reservoirs of infection (in particular by hares) is clear, the role of carnivores is still debated due to their “undetectable” infection [ 3 , 4 ]. Over the years, there have been reports of serological positivity in domestic carnivores in the Western world, in some cases even with high prevalences that suggested intense virus circulation or exposure.…”