Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an RNA virus of genus Hepevirus causative agent
of enterically transmitted acute hepatitis in humans that is widely distributed in
many regions of the world. Pigs are reported as the main source of infection to
humans related to genotypes 3 and 4 virus in non-endemic areas. In this sense,
the present study aimed to demonstrate the HEV infection among swine in the
Pará State by serological and molecular methods applied to samples of serum,
stool and liver of 151 pigs slaughtered in metropolitan area of Belém A serologic
investigation included the search for anti-HEV IgM and IgG and molecular
diagnostic included the detection of the HEV RNA, nucleotide sequencing and
phylogenetic analysis of sequences obtained. As result we detected no anti-
HEV IgM and the prevalence of animal seroreactive for IgG was 8,6% (13/151).
Molecular detection of HEV genome amplified positive fragments in 4,8%
(22/453) of samples tested and the prevalence of positive animals at least one
sample was 9,9% (15/151). Phylogenetic analysis has concluded that all
sequences examined belonged to genotype 3 virus, described as zoonotic. We
identified the subtypes 3c and 3f occurring both among samples according to
the two regions of the genome amplified. These results are the first serological
and molecular evidences of the existence of HEV among swine in Northern
Brazil and also the first detection and genotyping of HEV in region.
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