Detection of Hepatitis E Virus in Game Meat (Wild Boar) Supply Chain in Umbria Region, Central Italy

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.

Keywords: HEV; food safety; foodborne transmission; hunted wild boar (WB) meat.

Figure 1

Geographical localization of Umbria region. Italy is highlighted in violet; Umbria is highlighted in green.

Figure 2

Workflow of muscle tissue sampling. The sampling was divided into two phases: (A) First, 5 g of tissue from the surface of the muscle block was taken. (B) Thereafter, the surface of the muscle was sterilized by cauterization with a hot metal spatula, and 5 g of deep tissue was also taken. The figure was created with BioRender.com.

Figure 3

Geographical distribution of the municipalities involved in sampling with an indication of the number of samples tested for each one. Municipalities in which HEV-positive liver samples were detected are highlighted (red line).

Figure 4

Sample flow-chart. Tissues tested are highlighted in blue; Positive samples are highlighted in red; negative samples are highlighted in green. For muscle testing, two positive results were obtained on loin tissue (marked with asterisk), and the other seven positive results were obtained on thigh tissue.

Figure 5

Available data show that the HEV RNA could be detected mostly in the liver and blood but also in fecal and muscle samples [33,48]. Evisceration is recognized within the hazard analysis of the critical control point as a critical control point in hunted game slaughter for management of foodborne hazards due to the high risk of carcass contamination, from liver and blood to meat in the same subject and from infected to uninfected carcasses. The figure was created with BioRender.com.