To determine whether hepatitis E virus (HEV) was distributed in the population of wild boars in South Moravia between 1990 and 2008, a total of 366 samples of archived sera from wild boars were investigated using serological (commercial ELISA) and molecular (RT-qPCR) methods. A total of 31 (8.5%) wild boars were seropositive, and from two of them, RNA sequences were recovered by nested RT-PCR. The presented results, with one of the oldest animal's HEV-positive serum (collected in 1990), suggest that wild boars may be a reservoir of HEV in the Czech Republic and that this virus has been circulating in studied areas for more than 20 years.

Wild boars in South Moravia, Czech Republic, may be a reservoir of hepatitis E virus, circulating in the studied areas for more than 20 years.

Hepatitis E virus in archived sera from wild boars (Sus scrofa), Czech Republic

Key Takeaway: Wild boars in South Moravia, Czech Republic, may be a reservoir of hepatitis E virus, circulating in the studied areas for more than 20 years.