Detection of hepatitis E virus in archived German wild boar serum samples

Hepatitis E is a rare human disease in Central Europe commonly imported from endemic regions. For autochthonous infections a zoonotic transmission from pigs, deer and wild boar is assumed. Using three different RT-PCR protocols, hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was detected in 10 out of 189 (5.3%) serum samples collected in 1995/1996 from wild boars in Germany. Sequence analysis indicates a close relationship with genotype 3 isolates of pigs and humans from the Netherlands and Japan. The results indicate that HEV is present in Germany since more than 10 years and that wild boar may function as a reservoir for HEV.