Hepatitis E virus in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
IAAAM 2017
Danilo Cruz Martínez1*; María Caridad Montalvo Villalba2; Celia Guevara March3; Liena Sánchez Martínez3; Laima Sánchez Campo3
1Dolphin Discovery Group, Mexico; 2Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kouri", Cuba; 3National Aquarium of Cuba

Abstract

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infects several animal species that act as zoonotic reservoirs for viral transmission.1 Solid and liquid residues from infected animals could lead to HEV contamination of food and surface waters.2,3 Evidence of human HEV infection through ingestion of seafood (shellfish, mussels) has been reported. Dolphins generally feed on fish and squid but are able to adapt to an environment and consume whatever prey is available. Clinical signs of infected dolphins include lethargy, inappetence, behavioral aberrations, and increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT). These dolphins were maintained at the National Aquarium, Havana, Cuba. A total of 31 dolphins were evaluated for HEV markers. Sera were collected and screened for total immunoglobin (Ig) anti-HEV. Sera and liver homogenate were tested for HEV RNA by nested RTPCR using primers targeting a region of open reading frame 1. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using partial nucleotide sequences at the amplified RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region. Total anti-HEV Ig was detected in 32.2% (10 of 31), and 16.1% (5 of 31) of these dolphins were positive by both serology and HEV RNA testing. Nucleotide sequence analyses revealed that HEV strains identified in dolphins were genotype 3. This virus may represent an environmental contamination of food or wastewater as a source of HEV exposure and infection. Our findings provide evidence that HEV is associated with liver disorders in cetaceans and that it is advisable to screen for exposure of this virus in captive dolphins, particularly animals with elevated serum ALT or compromised liver function test results of undetermined cause.

Acknowledgements

We thank Ravinder Kumar (ICGEB New Delhi, India) for help with the cell culture studies. This study has been partially supported by the Arturo Falaschi ICGEB Flexible Fellowship Programme, reference F/CUB12-03.

* Presenting author

Literature Cited

1.  Pérez-Gracia MT, Suay B, Mateos-Lindemann ML. 2014. Hepatitis E: an emerging disease. Infect Genet Evol. 22:40–59.

2.  Aggarwal R, Jameel S. Hepatitis E vaccine. Hepatol Int. 2008;2(3):308–15.

3.  Woo PC, Lau SK, Teng JL, Tsang AK, Joseph M, Wong EY, et al. New hepatitis E virus genotype in camels, the Middle East. Emerg Infect Dis. 2014;20(6):1044–8.

  

Speaker Information
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Danilo Cruz Martinez
Dolphin Discovery Group, Mexico
Puerto Aventuras, Mexico


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