Pig Farming in the Abruzzo Region and Hepatitis E Virus Detection in Swine Slurries

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a recognized emerging zoonosis, and sporadic autochthonous cases, unrelated to travel in endemic areas, are rising in industrialized countries. Pigs and wild boars are considered HEV main reservoirs. The ongoing One Health project “Improving understanding of autochthonous Hepatitis E transmission routes: a focus on foodborne and waterborne pathways” focuses on the Abruzzo Region, where a high prevalence of anti-hepatitis E IgG (48.9%) was detected among blood donors. Abruzzo pig husbandry is mainly a family business, and pig farms often host a few animals. However, for most animals, rearing occurs in a few specialized structures mainly devoted to animal reproduction (open cycle) and fattening. A survey showed a heterogeneous distribution of the pig production structures in the territory, with 53% of the fattening pigs occurring in six municipalities, while three other municipalities host the largest part of the animals in reproduction facilities. Therefore, in this study, swine slurry samples taken from chosen representative specialized production sites underwent analysis to identify the presence of HEV strains. Preliminary data on HEV occurrence suggests that, among the tested farming structures, the housing of animals in buildings with partly slatted floors, the presence of wild fauna and the use of slow manure removal technologies are associated with higher probabilities of HEV detection in slurries.