Environmental and biological interactions of Hepatitis B virus in leeches – a molecular investigation

The study concludes that leeches (<i>Hirudo verbana</i>) do not facilitate the transovarial transmission of HBV. Moreover, the absence of HBV in the environmental samples highlights the minimal risk of viral spread via leech secretions, or associated materials. These findings provide critical insights for the ecological management of leech populations, especially in minimizing viral transmission risks. In the literature, studies on transovarial transmission in leeches are quite limited, and it has been concluded that while the data from the presented study are valuable, they are insufficient and highlight the need for further research in this field.