Clustered Cases of Waterborne Hepatitis E Virus Infection, France

Assessing the efficacy of different bead-based assays in capturing hepatitis E virus

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) generally causes acute liver infection in humans and its transmission could be waterborne, foodborne, bloodborne, or zoonotic. To date, there is no standard method for the detection of HEV from food and environmental samples. Herein, we explored the possibility of using magnetic beads for the capture and detection of HEV. For this purpose, we employed Dynabeads M-270 Epoxy magnetic beads, coated with different monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against HEV capsid protein, and the Nanotrap Microbiome A Particle magnetic beads, which are coated with chemical affinity baits, to capture HEV-3 particles in suspension. Viral RNA was extracted by heat-shock or QIAamp viral RNA kit and subjected to quantification using digital-droplet RT-PCR (ddRT-PCR). We demonstrated that the mAb-coupled Dynabeads and the Nanotrap particles, both were able to successfully capture HEV-3. The latter, however had lower limit of detection (<140gc compared with <1400 gc) and significantly higher extraction efficiency in comparison to the mAb-coupled Dynabeads (41.1% vs 8.8%). We have also observed that viral RNA extraction by heat-shock is less efficient compared to using highly denaturing reagents in QIAmp viral RNA extraction kit. As such, magnetic beads have the potential to be used to capture HEV virions for research and surveillance purposes.

Epidemiological survey and risk factors associated with Paslahepevirus balayani in equines in Europe

Paslahepevirus balayani (HEV) is an important emerging zoonotic virus in Europe. Although domestic pigs and wild boar are the main reservoirs of this pathogen, susceptibility to this virus has been confirmed in a growing number of animal species, including equines. However, their role in the epidemiology of this virus remains poorly understood. Our aim was to assess HEV circulation and identify potential risk factors associated with exposure in equid species in different European countries. A total of 596 equines, including 496 horses, 63 donkeys and 37 mules/hinnies bred in four European countries (Spain, Italy, United Kingdom and Ireland) were sampled. Thirty-three animals (5.5%; 95%CI: 3.7-7.4) had anti-HEV antibodies. Seropositivity was found in 4.6% of horses, 11.1% of donkeys and 8.1% of mules/hinnies tested. By country, 6.3%, 5.4%, 5.0% and 4.0% of the equines sampled in Spain, Italy, United Kingdom and Ireland, respectively, were seropositive, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that "species" and "drinking water from ponds and streams" were potential risk factors associated with HEV seropositivity in equines in Europe. HEV RNA was not detected in any (0.0%; 95%CI: 0.0-1.8) of the 202 equines tested. Our results provide evidence of a low, spatially homogeneous and widespread viral circulation that is not equal across species in equid populations in the European countries analyzed and indicate that these species appear to play a limited role in the epidemiology of this virus. Further studies are required to elucidate the differences in seroprevalence between donkeys, mules/hinnies and horses and to determine the risk of zoonotic transmission of this pathogen from equid species.

Hepatitis A Virus and Hepatitis E Virus as Food- and Waterborne Pathogens-Transmission Routes and Methods for Detection in Food

Foodborne viruses are an important threat to food safety and public health. Globally, there are approximately 5 million cases of acute viral hepatitis due to hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) every year. HAV is responsible for numerous food-related viral outbreaks worldwide, while HEV is an emerging pathogen with a global health burden. The reported HEV cases in Europe have increased tenfold in the last 20 years due to its zoonotic transmission through the consumption of infected meat or meat products. HEV is considered the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide currently. This review focuses on the latest findings on the foodborne transmission routes of HAV and HEV and the methods for their detection in different food matrices.