TY - JOUR
T1 - Seroprevalence and risk factors of hantavirus and hepatitis E virus exposure among wildlife farmers in Vietnam
AU - Nguyen, Ha Thi Thanh
AU - Lee, Hu Suk
AU - Bett, Bernard
AU - Ling, Jiaxin
AU - Nguyen-Tien, Thang
AU - Dang-Xuan, Sinh
AU - Nguyen-Viet, Hung
AU - Unger, Fred
AU - Lâm, Steven
AU - Bui, Vuong Nghia
AU - Dao, Tung Duy
AU - Lundkvist, Åke
AU - Cattell, Genevieve
AU - Lindahl, Johanna F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Nguyen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2025/8
Y1 - 2025/8
N2 - Background Wildlife farming is a growing industry, but it poses substantial risks for zoonotic disease transmission, including infections caused by hantaviruses and hepatitis E virus (HEV). This study aimed to determine seroprevalences of these viruses among wildlife farmers and identify associated risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 wildlife farmers in Lao Cai and Dong Nai provinces in Vietnam who raised bats, bamboo rats, civets, and wild boars. Of these, 207 provided serum samples for serological testing for hantavirus and HEV antibodies. Apparent (AP) and true (TP) prevalences were estimated, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors. Results The AP of hantavirus IgG was 8.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.4–13.6 (TP: 4.7%, 95% credible interval (CrI): 0.2–11.1). HEV IgG AP was 26.7%, 95%CI: 20.8–33.2 (TP: 27.1%, 95%CrI: 21.3–33.4). Hantavirus IgM testing was also performed due to higher IgG seroprevalence compared to earlier studies, detecting IgM antibodies in 1.9% of samples (95%CI: 0.6–5.2) (TP: 1.7%, 95%CrI: 0.1–4.7). Hantavirus seropositivity was significantly associated with engaging only in wildlife farming, and not participating in other activities such as hunting, trading, slaughtering, processing, guano collection, or consumption (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1–6.9). HEV seropositivity was significantly associated with men gender (OR = 3.1, 95%CI: 1.4–7.3), older age (OR = 1.03, 95%CI: 1.0–1.1), raw meat consumption (OR = 6.8, 95%CI: 1.6–31.8), residing at higher altitudes (OR = 31.6, 95%CI: 5.5–204.4), and reporting use of protective clothing (OR = 4.0, 95%CI: 1.4–11.2), although their proper use was not assessed. Conclusions This study highlights behavioural and environmental risk factors associated with wildlife farming and zoonotic pathogens exposure. Public health interventions should focus on biosecurity, proper hygiene practices, and risk communication to reduce the transmission in wildlife farming settings.
AB - Background Wildlife farming is a growing industry, but it poses substantial risks for zoonotic disease transmission, including infections caused by hantaviruses and hepatitis E virus (HEV). This study aimed to determine seroprevalences of these viruses among wildlife farmers and identify associated risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 wildlife farmers in Lao Cai and Dong Nai provinces in Vietnam who raised bats, bamboo rats, civets, and wild boars. Of these, 207 provided serum samples for serological testing for hantavirus and HEV antibodies. Apparent (AP) and true (TP) prevalences were estimated, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors. Results The AP of hantavirus IgG was 8.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.4–13.6 (TP: 4.7%, 95% credible interval (CrI): 0.2–11.1). HEV IgG AP was 26.7%, 95%CI: 20.8–33.2 (TP: 27.1%, 95%CrI: 21.3–33.4). Hantavirus IgM testing was also performed due to higher IgG seroprevalence compared to earlier studies, detecting IgM antibodies in 1.9% of samples (95%CI: 0.6–5.2) (TP: 1.7%, 95%CrI: 0.1–4.7). Hantavirus seropositivity was significantly associated with engaging only in wildlife farming, and not participating in other activities such as hunting, trading, slaughtering, processing, guano collection, or consumption (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1–6.9). HEV seropositivity was significantly associated with men gender (OR = 3.1, 95%CI: 1.4–7.3), older age (OR = 1.03, 95%CI: 1.0–1.1), raw meat consumption (OR = 6.8, 95%CI: 1.6–31.8), residing at higher altitudes (OR = 31.6, 95%CI: 5.5–204.4), and reporting use of protective clothing (OR = 4.0, 95%CI: 1.4–11.2), although their proper use was not assessed. Conclusions This study highlights behavioural and environmental risk factors associated with wildlife farming and zoonotic pathogens exposure. Public health interventions should focus on biosecurity, proper hygiene practices, and risk communication to reduce the transmission in wildlife farming settings.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012436818
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012436818#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0329570
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0329570
M3 - Article
C2 - 40773434
AN - SCOPUS:105012436818
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 20
JO - PloS one
JF - PloS one
IS - 8 August
M1 - e0329570
ER -