Hepatitis E Virus Infections in Free-Ranging and Captive Cetaceans, Spain, 2011–2022

Caballero-Gómez, Javier; Rivero-Juarez, Antonio; Beato-Benítez, Adrián; Fernández-Maldonado, Carolina; Domingo, Mariano; García-Párraga, Daniel; Fernández, Antonio; Sierra, Eva; Ulrich, Rainer, G.; Martínez-Nevado, Eva; Sierra-Arqueros, Cecilia; Canales-Merino, Rocío; Rivero, Antonio; García-Bocanegra, Ignacio

doi:10.3201/eid2812.221188

Article Fri Nov 18 2022 CC BY 4.0

refereed

published

Hepatitis E Virus Infections in Free-Ranging and Captive Cetaceans, Spain, 2011–2022

Caballero-Gómez, Javier; Rivero-Juarez, Antonio; Beato-Benítez, Adrián; Fernández-Maldonado, Carolina; Domingo, Mariano; García-Párraga, Daniel; Fernández, Antonio; Sierra, Eva; Ulrich, Rainer G.; Martínez-Nevado, Eva; Sierra-Arqueros, Cecilia; Canales-Merino, Rocío; Rivero, Antonio; García-Bocanegra, Ignacio

Epidemiologic surveillance of hepatitis E virus in over 300 free-ranging and captive cetaceans in waters off Spain revealed extensive exposure to this pathogen. We suggest the persistent and widespread presence of hepatitis E in the marine environment off the coast of Spain may be driven by terrestrial sources of contamination.