Prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus antibodies in different Indian animalspecies

Prevalence of IgG antibodies to hepatitis E virus (IgG-anti-HEV) was determ ined among different animal species from India, Seropositivity varied from 4.4% to 6.9% in cattle, 54.6-74.4% in pigs and 2.1-21.5% in rodents. Of the 44 dogs screened, 10 were positive (22.7%). None of the 250 goat sera test ed were found to be anti-HEV positive. Among rodents, over 50% serum sample s collected in 1985 from Bandicota bengalensis were positive for anti-HEV a ntibodies. No evidence of HEV infection was obtained following experimental inoculation of an Indian strain (AKL-90) of HEV into anti-HEV negative pig s and goats. The results document varied prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in different animal species from India and of inability of Indian pigs and goats to support replication of at least one human strain of HEV.