Molecular detection of genotype 3 porcine hepatitis E virus in aborted fetuses and their sows

By reverse transcription (RT)-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was simultaneously detected in the livers of aborted fetuses and in fecal and serum samples from their sows, obtained from two of 14 farms tested. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses showed that these HEVs belonged to genotype 3 HEV. HEV RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR at 2.0 × 103–2.8 × 104 viral copies/μl in the HEV-positive samples. All HEV-positive fetuses tested positive for porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). These results indicate that transplacental infection of HEV with PCV2 coinfection may occur in sows with reproductive failure, which is suggestive of similarities to HEV infection in women.