P36 | Hepatitis E and tuberculosis in wild boars: when the wild questions consumer safety

The aim of this study was to monitor the prevalence of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in wild boars (Sus scrofa) captured within the Ripa Bianca di Jesi Nature Reserve, located in the Marche region. Between November 2024 and July 2025 (monitoring still ongoing), 34 wild boars were culled as part of a broader surveillance plan aimed at also searching for Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp., pathogens known for their significance in foodborne illnesses (project code D43C24002320002). Following the slaughter, the carcasses were subjected to post-mortem inspection on-site by the Competent Authority and subsequently transported to the Official Laboratory for sampling. A portion of liver was taken from each subject for the detection of the Hepatitis E virus by Real-Time PCR. Simultaneously, the lungs, liver, and retropharyngeal, submandibular, and tracheobronchial lymph nodes were examined macroscopically; Any suspected lesions were further analyzed by Real-Time PCR for the detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Molecular analysis revealed the presence of the Hepatitis E virus in 50% of the liver samples analyzed (95% CI: 34.07–65.93). Regarding tuberculosis surveillance, out of a total of 34 subjects examined, 5 had macroscopically suspicious lesions in the head lymph nodes (14.71%; 95% CI: 6.45–30.13). However, all molecular analyzes conducted on these samples excluded the presence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In only one case was the presence of Mycobacterium avium confirmed. The results obtained for the Hepatitis E virus confirm the potential risk to consumers, especially in the absence of processing and consumption practices that do not include technological treatments suitable for viral inactivation. Preliminary data on the surveillance of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex highlight the importance of post-mortem inspection at slaughterhouses, while also emphasizing the indispensable role of laboratory diagnostics in identifying pathogenic microorganisms responsible for foodborne illnesses, in order to support an accurate and effective risk assessment.