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Hepatitis E virus RNA found in one in five sampled wild boar in northeastern Germany

Research: Disease, parasites & microbiology, Ecology

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was detected in about one in five wild boar (Sus scrofa) sampled in Mecklenburg–Vorpommern, northeastern Germany. The study, published on 17 October 2026, tested liver samples from 1,068 legally hunted animals collected between 2009 and 2022.

HEV can infect both animals and people. In people, HEV infection can cause hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver. In Europe, genotype 3 is endemic, and domestic pigs and wild boar are among the principal reservoirs. The researchers tested liver tissue using real-time RT-PCR, a molecular test that detects viral RNA. They found HEV RNA in approximately 20% of the samples, with positive animals throughout the study area. RNA detection shows that viral genetic material was present in the sampled livers; it does not establish that infectious virus was present.

Young boar were more often positive

Juveniles had markedly higher HEV RNA prevalence than subadults and adults. The researchers found no difference between males and females. Prevalence varied from year to year, but there was no consistent upward or downward trend across the study period. Instead, annual prevalence tended to be higher in years when juveniles made up a larger share of the sampled animals.

The findings support the authors’ interpretation that HEV circulates endemically among wild boar in Mecklenburg–Vorpommern and confirm the species as an important wildlife reservoir. The age composition of samples therefore matters when comparing prevalence between years. The study does not establish whether or how often HEV passes from these wild boar to people or livestock.

Sources and image credit

  1. Retrospective molecular screening of hepatitis E virus in wild boar (Sus scrofa) from Mecklenburg–Vorpommern, Germany (2009–2022)Primary publisher page and abstract verified the publication date, study location and period, species, sample size, method, principal findings and authors’ interpretation. Full text was not accessible.

Image: A wild boar (Sus scrofa) stands on a snow-covered forest floor, while another boar is partly visible in the foreground. Photo: Donald Davesne · CC BY 4.0 · Source

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