Investigation of Potential Animal Reservoirs for Hepatitis E virus in East Java, Indonesia

Winoto, Winoto (2006) Investigation of Potential Animal Reservoirs for Hepatitis E virus in East Java, Indonesia. Project Report. Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan.

Abstract

Epidemic HEV transmission was recognized in Bondowoso, East Java in March 1998. In October of 1999, a team of investigators (from NAMRU-2 and BALITBANGKES) returned to the site of the epidemic to conduct field sampling of blood, stool and tissues of several species of domestic and sylvatic animals. The purpose of this investigation was two fold: 1). to assess reservoir potential for various animal populations in the maintenance of the virus, and 2). Assess risk for transmission between human and animals. Sampling was conducted at the same villages and households involved in the 1998 epidemic as well as at a control village that was not involved in the outbreak. A total of 243 rodents were trapped, euthanized and dissected for the collection of tissue, serum and feces. Animals sampled for sera and feces included 411 chickens (Gallus), and 191 domestic bovines (cow, sheep and goat). A total of 845 animals were sampled for this study. Analysis of sera by EIA has been completed with result 5.84% of Chicken, 2.78% of cows, 7.14% of goats, 1.82% of sheep and 2.78% of rats were positive to HEV IgG. Shrews were tested using anti-mouse conjugate, and 3.17% were positive. Western blot was performed on the samples to confirm the AIA result. Sera and stool were also analyzed for the presence of HEV nucleit acids (RNA) using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), but all of them were negative. RT-PCR results indicated there was no current infection of HEV among those animals during the study period, but the positive result of IgG to HEV on the EIA showed Chicken, cow, goat, sheep rat and shrew play roll in the maintenance and transmission of HEV during inter-epidemic periods.

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