Effect of Sodium Chloride, Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate on the Infectivity of Hepatitis E Virus

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can cause acute and chronic hepatitis in humans. The zoonotic HEV genotype 3, which is highly prevalent in Europe, is mainly transmitted by consumption of raw meat and raw meat products produced from infected pigs or wild boars. High salt concentrations represent an important measure to preserve meat products and to inactivate foodborne pathogens. Here, an HEV preparation in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was subjected to different salt concentrations and the remaining infectivity was measured in a cell culture assay. Treatments with up to 20% sodium chloride for 24 h at 23 °C, with and without addition of 0.015% sodium nitrite or 0.03% sodium nitrate, did not lead to virus inactivation as compared to PBS only. Conditions usually applied for short-term and long-term fermented raw sausages were simulated by incubation at 22 °C for up to 6 days and at 16 °C for up to 8 weeks, respectively. Only 2% sodium chloride with 0.015% sodium nitrite showed a weak (< 1 log₁₀), but significant, infectivity reduction after 2 and 4 days as compared to PBS only. Addition of 2% sodium chloride and 0.03% sodium nitrate showed a slight, but not significant, decrease in infectivity after 2 and 8 weeks as compared to PBS only. In conclusion, HEV is highly stable at high salt concentrations and at salt conditions usually applied to preserve raw meat products.