Prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis E virus in wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Korea

We determined the nationwide seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in the wild boar population in Korea. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results showed that 42% of the 528 wild boars that were hunted between 2013 and 2014 were anti-HEV antibody positive. Furthermore, all Korean provinces showed an HEV seroprevalence between 9.8% and 51.1%, suggesting that wild boar HEV infection occurs throughout the country. Importantly, infected wild boar could act as a potential reservoir for HEV and could aid transmission to other animals and humans.