Antibodies Against Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in European Moose and White-Tailed Deer in Finland

• Published in: Food and Environmental Virology
• Main Authors: Loikkanen, Emil, Oristo, Satu, Hämäläinen, Natalia, Jokelainen, Pikka, Kantala, Tuija, Sukura, Antti, Maunula, Leena
• Other Authors: Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Departments of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Pathology and Parasitology, Veterinary Biosciences, Helsinki One Health (HOH), Food and Environmental Virology Research Group
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2020
• Subjects: 413 Veterinary science; Hepatitis E virus; HEV; Seroprevalence; Cervid; Zoonosis; WILD BOAR; RED DEER; TRANSMISSION; PREVALENCE; INFECTION; POPULATIONS; PATHOGENS; FOODBORNE; CONTACT; Alces alces
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/323928

The main animal reservoirs of zoonotic hepatitis E virus (HEV) are domestic pigs and wild boars, but HEV also infects cervids. In this study, we estimated the prevalence of HEV in Finnish cervid species that are commonly hunted for human consumption. We investigated sera from 342 European moose (Alces alces), 70 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and 12 European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). The samples had been collected from legally hunted animals from different districts of Finland during 2008–2009. We analysed the samples for total anti-HEV antibodies using a double-sandwich ELISA assay. Seropositive sera were analysed with RT-qPCR for HEV RNA. HEV seroprevalence was 9.1% (31/342) in moose and 1.4% (1/70) in white-tailed deer. None of the European roe deer were HEV seropositive (0/12). No HEV RNA was detected from samples of seropositive animals. HEV seropositive moose were detected in all districts. Statistically, HEV seroprevalence in moose was significantly higher (p Peer reviewed