Hepatitis E Virus in the Wild Boar Population: What Is the Real Zoonotic Risk in Portugal?

Abstract

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important zoonosis in wild boar. Reported zoonotic cases are mainly associated with the consumption of raw/undercooked meat and/or liver. This study aims to determine the occurrence of HEV in the Portuguese wild boar population. During the hunting season 2021/2022, 123-matched samples (liver, faeces, and blood) were collected from hunted wild boars throughout Portugal. An RT-PCR assay tested liver and faeces samples to detect HEV-RNA. From blood samples, an ELISA test was performed. Only one liver sample was positive for HEV (0,8%) and one other from faeces. A total of 34 sera were seropositive (26.7%). At the same time, in a survey of 106 hunters, 21 consumed/ate the liver of wild boars (19.8%). Only three recognised the possibility of consuming it undercooked. Contrary to previous studies in Portugal, the prevalence of HEV in liver and faeces is low, but the seropositivity is higher. But, when analyzing in detail, it could be observed that an HEV hotspot exists in the southeast of central Portugal and that it is a zoonotic risk for hunters of this region. The data of this study reinforce the importance of including HEV in surveillance programs for wildlife diseases to expand the potential zoonotic information.