Original title: Molecular and serological evidence of hepatitis E virus genotype 3 circulation in pigs in Senegal
Bacary Djilocalisse Sadio, Mamadou Malado Jallow, Abdourahmane Sow, Sala Gaye +10 · September 2026
Hepatitis E virus causes liver infections, but scientists know very little about how it spreads in Senegal, even after a human outbreak in 2014. To investigate, researchers tested blood from slaughtered pigs to see if they carry the virus. They searched for active virus parts and checked for antibodies, which are defense proteins the body makes after fighting an infection. The tests revealed active viral genetic material in several pigs, and genetic sequencing confirmed the strains belonged to genotype 3A specific strain of HEV that is known to spread from pigs to humans.. Furthermore, most of the pigs without active virus still had antibodies, showing past exposure. Because of these findings, scientists concluded that pigs are an important reservoir for hepatitis E virus genotype 3 in Senegal, posing a potential infection risk to humans.
Imagine a town where people keep getting sick from a stomach bug, but no one knows where it comes from. A health inspector checks the local grocery store and finds that many of the vegetables carry the same bug, even though they look fine. In this paper, the researchers checked pigs in Senegal for the hepatitis E virus and found it in many of them, showing the pigs are a hidden source that could infect people.
Hepatitis E virus can cause severe liver disease in people, and pigs are a known source of infection. This study shows that the virus is widespread in Senegalese pigs, meaning people who work with or eat pork may be at risk. It points to the need for surveillance that connects animal and human health.
The study only sampled pigs at slaughter in one period, so it may not represent all pigs in Senegal or seasonal variation. Sequencing succeeded for only 13 of 69 RNA-positive samples, limiting the genetic analysis. The abstract does not include human data, so the actual risk of zoonotic transmission remains unmeasured.
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Molecular and serological evidence of hepatitis E virus genotype 3 circulation in pigs in Senegal — Bacary Djilocalisse Sadio, Mamadou Malado Jallow, Abdourahmane Sow et al. — One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) — doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2026.101557
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.