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Short communication: detection and molecular characterization of hepatitis E virus in domestic animals of São Tomé and Príncipe

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Abstract

As in most of the African continent, the status of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in domestic animals in São Tomé and Príncipe, an archipelago off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa, is also completely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the presence of HEV among domestic animals in São Tomé and Príncipe. A total of 93 stool samples from different animal species (goat, cow, pig, chicken, duck, and monkey) were tested for HEV RNA using two real-time RT-PCR assays, followed by a nested RT-PCR assay for sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. A total of six samples (1 cow stool and 5 pig stools) were found to be positive for HEV RNA of which one pig stool was positive by broad spectrum nested RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the retrieved sequence clustered within HEV subgenotype 3f, similar to zoonotic strains of European countries and posing interesting questions on past introduction of European HEV into São Tomé and Príncipe archipelago. This is the first report describing the presence and molecular characterization of HEV in São Tomé and Príncipe.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Health of São Tomé e Príncipe and the representatives of the non-governmental organization Instituto Marquês de Valle Flor, Dr. Edgar Neves, Dr. António Lima (in STP), and Dr. Ahmed Zaky (in Lisbon) for guaranteeing the local logistic as well as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal, to contribute to the project consumables.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu (ESAV), Centro de Estudos em Educação, Tecnologias e Saúde (CI&DETS), Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Quinta da Alagoa, Estrada de Nelas, Ranhados, 3500-606, Viseu, Portugal

    João Rodrigo Mesquita

  2. Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal

    João Rodrigo Mesquita & Maria S. J. Nascimento

  3. Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (UNL), Lisbon, Portugal

    Claudia Istrate

  4. Laboratório de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Nânci L. Santos-Ferreira, Ana S. Ferreira, Joana Abreu-Silva & Maria S. J. Nascimento

  5. Instituto Marquês de Valle Flor, São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe

    José Veiga

  6. Ministério da Saúde, São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe

    José Veiga

  7. Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Edelhertweg 15, 8219 PH, Lelystad, The Netherlands

    Wim H. M. van der Poel

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  1. João Rodrigo Mesquita
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  2. Claudia Istrate
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  3. Nânci L. Santos-Ferreira
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  4. Ana S. Ferreira
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  5. Joana Abreu-Silva
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  6. José Veiga
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  7. Wim H. M. van der Poel
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  8. Maria S. J. Nascimento
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Correspondence to João Rodrigo Mesquita.

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Mesquita, J.R., Istrate, C., Santos-Ferreira, N.L. et al. Short communication: detection and molecular characterization of hepatitis E virus in domestic animals of São Tomé and Príncipe. Trop Anim Health Prod 51, 481–485 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-018-1700-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-018-1700-x

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