Project R-10087

DYNAMICS OF HEPATITIS E VIRUS INFECTION IN BELGIAN PIG FARMS (Research)

The aim of the research is to develop, through epidemiological and field studies, knowledge about hepatitis E virus (HEV) contamination and its spread in Belgian pig farms and to investigate whether it is possible, on the basis of practical sampling methods (saliva, manure), to determine the risk status of pig farms and consignments of slaughter pigs. The type of farming must be taken into account for this purpose. The project should also be able to answer the question to which extent HEV is still present among slaughter pigs and if measures can be taken during the pig production cycle to reduce HEV infection on farms and thus ultimately contribute to limiting transmission of the virus to humans.

01 September 2019 - 31 December 2023