Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40143359›Full record

ArticleViruses2025

Biosecurity Risk Factors and Predictive Index for Hepatitis E Virus Serological Status in Belgian Pig Farms: Conventional and Free-Range Systems.

Constance Wielick, Louisa Ludwig-Begall, Stefaan Ribbens, Étienne Thiry, Christel Faes, Claude Saegerman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Viruses, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Constance WielickResearch Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR ULiège), FARAH Research Centre, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-4524-4303
Louisa Ludwig-BegallFARAH Research Centre, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Stefaan RibbensAnimal Health Service Flanders (DGZ Vlaanderen), 8820 Torhout, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-4075-999X
Étienne ThiryFARAH Research Centre, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-9585-7933
Christel FaesCenter for Statistics, Data Science Institute, Hasselt University, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-1878-9869
Claude SaegermanResearch Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR ULiège), FARAH Research Centre, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-9087-7436

Funding

Belgian Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment RT19/2 SUDYHEV1UREAR-ULiège
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hepatitis E viruses (HEV) cause hepatitis E in humans. In industrialized countries, sporadic HEV infections, typically caused by HEV genotypes 3 or 4, can become chronic and progress to liver cirrhosis in immunocompromised individuals. Pigs are a significant animal reservoir, implicating raw or undercooked pork products as potential sources of human infection. To better understand HEV dissemination in the Belgian pig population, potential risk factors were investigated by linking farm-level HEV serological status to biosecurity questionnaire data. Farrow-to-finish herd type, free-range systems, and poor boot hygiene were significantly associated with higher within-herd prevalences. This enabled an initial risk profiling of various farming types and the development of predictions for all Belgian pig farms. When combined with the census of the Belgian wild boar population, the predicted HEV status of all professional Belgian pig farms (based on these associations) does not suggest that the proximity of wild boars is a main source of HEV in free-ranging herds. Identifying risk factors for increased circulation of HEV between and within pig farms is critical to controlling its spread and reducing human infection.

Indexed as

BiosecurityHepatitis EHepatitis E virusSwine DiseasesAnimal HusbandryAnimalsBelgiumFarmsHumansPrevalenceRisk FactorsSeroepidemiologic StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesSus scrofaSwineBelgiumbiosecurityfarmHepatitis EHEVpigprotective factorsrisk factorsseroprevalenceswine

Identifiers

PMID40143359
PMCPMC11946260

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.