Prevalence of hepatitis E virus in domestic animals in the Chinese mainland: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundChina, especially the Chinese mainland, is a highly endemic area of hepatitis E, and its incidence rate has been increasing in recent years. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E, with a variety of domestic animals as potential hosts. The shift in the main epidemic strain and the increasing trend of zoonotic HEV infection in the Chinese mainland need urgent attention. This systematic review aimed to provide a summary of HEV detection and its characteristics in domestic animals in the Chinese mainland.MethodsA total of 1,019 literatures published in Chinese and English before 2024.1.15 were retrieved from four databases including Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Wan Fang and CNKI. Eventually, 73 eligible studies were included in this review, involving HEV detection data of 64,813 samples collecting from 13 kinds of common domestic animals, locating in 28 provinces and municipalities.ResultsHEV antibodies and RNA were detected among 12 and 7 kinds of domestic animals respectively, with the pooled prevalence of 37.94% (95% CI:32.28-43.77) and 7.62% (95% CI: 5.56-9.96) respectively. The prevelance of HEV for swine samples was higher than other species. In addition, the prevalence of HEV among Tibetan swine, cattle and goats were also at a relatively high level. Further subgroup analysis focusing on comprehensive data from swine was conducted. The results showed, the seroprevalence of HEV antibodies gradually decreased over the time of sampling. HEV RNA was detected in various samples, including bile, feces, liver, and serum. The detection rate for fecal samples was the highest, which was 16.60% (95% CI: 12.17-21.55). Further genotyping of HEV RNA was classified. The results warn us about the circulation of genotype 3 HEV in the eastern region of the Chinese mainland.ConclusionThe results collected from the included studies provided valuable data on HEV prevalence across various species, and the characteristics, trends, and potential influencing factors were fully discussed. This review provides public health professionals, policymakers, and researchers with comprehensive and up-to-date research data on zoonotic HEV.