Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche ''Togo Rosati''

Authors  Borghi M, Pierboni E, Primavilla S, Scoccia E, Costantini C, Suffredini E, Graziani A, Macellari P, Macrì S, Farneti S, Valiani A

Abstract Consumption of raw or undercooked wild boar (WB) meat is considered an important risk factor for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in humans. The possibility of HEV contamination during the slaughtering practices may pose an additional risk. Based on these assumptions, we evaluated HEV contamination of WB meat hunted in Umbria (Central Italy) during the 2022–2023 hunting season by real-time RT-PCR. Herein, we show that 10,8% of livers from slaughtered WB were positive for HEV RNA, thus providing an estimate of HEV infection in WB in the Umbria region. Then, by evaluating paired liver-muscle samples from both HEV-positive and HEV-negative animals, we found evidence of muscle HEV contamination in 33% and 14% of cases, respectively. This is the first report on the detection of HEV in WB meat in Umbria, an Italian region with diffuse WB hunting and consumption. The evidence of contamination provided by our study underscores the importance of adopting good hygienic practices in the processing stages of hunted WB carcasses to significantly reduce meat contamination and the risk posed for the final consumer.

Publish Date 2024

Volume 13 (16)

ISSN 2304-8158

DOI doi.org/10.3390/foods13162504

URL https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/16/2504  

Journal  Foods 

Pages art. n. 2504

PMID 39200431