Over the last few decades, wild boar populations have increased in the urban areas of Barcelona and in other parts of Catalonia. This wild animal is an important reservoir of the hepatitis E virus. Now, a team has identified a relevant molecular similarity between the hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains of wild boars in the metropolitan area of Barcelona and the citizens of this area. According to the researchers, these data suggest that these animals could be a source of human hepatitis E infections in the metropolitan region.
