| Summary: | Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a sole member of Hepeviridae family that causes significant public health problems worldwide. Human and animal HEV cases in Europe had been attributed to HEV genotype 3. HEV can be transmitted to humans not only via uncooked meat, but through contaminated water and direct contact between animals and humans as well. HEV RNA presence in Lithuanian wild animal populations was determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and local isolate molecular characterization were carried out using phylogenetic analysis. Methods Wild boar (Sus scrofa) (n=505), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (n=93), red deer (Cervus elaphus) (n=15) and moose (Alces alces) (n=13) liver and serum samples were collected from 2014 to 2016. Viral RNA was extracted and RT-PCR analysis carried out using primers targeting ORF1 and ORF2 fragments. Prevalence and statistical difference analyses using Fisher‘s exact test were carried out and local isolates selected for genotyping using ORF2 fragment of HEV. Results 25.94% [22.31–29.93] of wild boar, 22.58% [15.27–32.07] of roe deer, 6.67% [1.19–29.82] of red deer and 7.69% [1.37–33.31] of moose samples were positive for HEV RNA targeting ORF1 and 17.03% [14.00–20.55] of wild boar and 12.90% [7.54–21.21] of roe deer samples were positive for HEV RNA targeting ORF2. Phylogenetic analysis based on HEV ORF2 fragment confirmed that all tested HEV isolates in wild animal populations belong to genotype 3. Wild boar and roe deer isolates mainly clustered within 3i subtype of genotype 3 in addition to wild boar isolates that clustered within subtype 3h. HEV isolates from roe deer that cluster within subtype 3i had been described for the first time. Conclusion Direct evidence of HEV RNA prevalence in Lithuanian wild animal population has been obtained for the first time, confirming the possibility of natural HEV reservoir for human situation [.].
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