Bushmeat hunting is one of the greatest pressure to wildlife alongside habitat fragmentation, deforestation, land use change and climate change. Despite the interventions from government and Non Governmental Organizat...Bushmeat hunting is one of the greatest pressure to wildlife alongside habitat fragmentation, deforestation, land use change and climate change. Despite the interventions from government and Non Governmental Organization to reduce or divert the attention of rural people from the wild by providing alternative livelihood, the level of hunting either remains the same or kept on increasing. However, there is need to categorize and understand the types of hunters in different locality for better design and management of whatever alternative to be provided. The study assessed hunters’ types and their income made from hunting in Afi, Mbe and the Okwango Division of the National park and the rate of poaching activities. The snowball sampling was adopted for gathering data. A descriptive and inferential statistical tool was used to analyze the data collected. The respondents were interviewed with a view to obtaining information on the regularity of their hunting activities, the income made per month and reasons why they hunt and also their views on best alternative. Results revealed that majority of the respondent fall within the age of less than or equal to 40 years with primary and secondary school qualification in which are married with 3 - 12 children. Consequent to this fact hunting activities is effective and prevailing. It further revealed that despite numerous conservation efforts in these areas, poaching activities still prevail owing to the fact that the income made from poaching is much better than the alternative provided for hunters. Furthermore, the assessment also revealed that there are different types of hunters and this makes their income varies greatly. Thus, there are fulltime or core hunters (36.9%), occasional hunters (58.3%), Holiday hunters (2.9%) and social hunters (1.9%). It is therefore paramount to have a better view and understanding of the target group (Poachers) for better alternative and implementation.展开更多
Mo Guizhen was 5 when she saw a real bed for the first time. She refused to ,sleep on it, accustomed asshe was to deer furs laid on the ground of hunters' huts in the depths of the Greater Hinggan Mountains in north-...Mo Guizhen was 5 when she saw a real bed for the first time. She refused to ,sleep on it, accustomed asshe was to deer furs laid on the ground of hunters' huts in the depths of the Greater Hinggan Mountains in north- eastern China.展开更多
Primitive man have managed to survive in the rigorous climatic conditions of the arctic regions in northeast Asia owing to the hunting for mammoth, bison, wooly rhinoceros and other Pleistocene mammals with the assist...Primitive man have managed to survive in the rigorous climatic conditions of the arctic regions in northeast Asia owing to the hunting for mammoth, bison, wooly rhinoceros and other Pleistocene mammals with the assistance of the laika, a domesticated wolf. This is how the colonization of the Arctic began. The domestic dog appeared in this region about 25 - 30 thousand years ago as a result of the severe climatic conditions in which both hunting tribes and the ancestors of the domestic dog had to live. A wolf is a predator, an able hunter. Therefore, most likely wolves were originally trained to hunt with humans—the leaders of the hunting pack. Thus, in northeast Asia, there was a direct relationship between man’s colonization of the Arctic, the appearance of the hunting dog, and a decrease in the number of mammoth, bison, and other large animals in the region, as a result of hunting when whole herds were killed.展开更多
主题群:动物行为研究篇幅:312词建议用时:6分钟.1 For the first time,researchers have documented killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins cooperating to hunt salmon off the coast of British Columbia.This never-befor...主题群:动物行为研究篇幅:312词建议用时:6分钟.1 For the first time,researchers have documented killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins cooperating to hunt salmon off the coast of British Columbia.This never-before-seen behavior,recorded on video,challenges previous understandings of interactions between these marine hunters and suggests a strategic and mutually beneficial partnership.展开更多
In Manchester,England,a three-year-old boy from the US has become the first person in the world to successfully receive a special treatment for a rare health condition called Hunter Syndrome.Hunter Syndrome is caused ...In Manchester,England,a three-year-old boy from the US has become the first person in the world to successfully receive a special treatment for a rare health condition called Hunter Syndrome.Hunter Syndrome is caused by a gene in the body that doesn't work correctly(genes contain the instructions on how a person will develop and grow).This prevents the body from being able to keep some of its cells healthy,causing delays in development in young children.This condition can become very serious.展开更多
Plague is among the most devastating diseases in human history1.However,early strains of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis lacked virulence factors that are required for the bubonic form until around 3,800 ...Plague is among the most devastating diseases in human history1.However,early strains of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis lacked virulence factors that are required for the bubonic form until around 3,800 years ago2,3.Consequently,the morbidity and mortality of early plague strains remain unclear.Here we describe early plague strains that are associated with two phases of outbreaks among mid-Holocene hunter-gatherers near Lake Baikal in southeast Siberia,beginning from about 5,500 years ago.These outbreaks occur across four hunter-gatherer cemeteries,with a 39%detection rate for plague infection.By reconstructing kinship pedigrees,we show that small familial groups were affected,consistent with human-to-human spread of disease,and that the first outbreak occurred within a single generation.The infections appear to have resulted in acute mortality,especially among children(aged 8 to 11 years).We further note functional differences,including in the ypm superantigen locus,which is also present in present day Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.The new strains diverge ancestrally to known Y.pestis and constrain the timing of its emergence,indicating that this happened before approximately 5,700 years ago.These findings show that plague outbreaks happened earlier than previously thought and were indeed lethal.We contend that the occurrence of outbreaks among mid-Holocene hunter-gatherer communities well outside the sphere of Late Neolithic Europe challenges the notion that higher population densities and lifestyle changes during the Neolithic agricultural transition were prerequisites for plague epidemics.展开更多
Ten Montana hunters are in a duck blind when 10 ducks fly over.All 10 hunters pick a duck at random to shoot at,and all 10 hunters fire at the same time.How many ducks could be expected to escape,on average。
The zoonotic risk of hepatitis E virus(HEV)is well established.The HEV seroprevalence rates vary according to geographical region,assays used,and study cohorts.HEV infection is still underdiagnosed,implying the need t...The zoonotic risk of hepatitis E virus(HEV)is well established.The HEV seroprevalence rates vary according to geographical region,assays used,and study cohorts.HEV infection is still underdiagnosed,implying the need to evaluate the disease's burden in the general population and specific risk groups,such as professionally exposed.Close contact with various animal reservoirs such as pigs,rabbits,sheep,dogs,wild boars,and deer has been associated with higher anti-HEV seroprevalence as a part of occupational exposure.While exact transmission routes remain to be determined,some general preventive measures such as proper hand hygiene,the usage of personal protective equipment,and the thermal processing of food before consumption should be followed.A“One-Health”multisectoral approach should be implemented to achieve optimal health and well-being outcomes,recognizing the interconnections between humans,animals,plants,and their shared environment,in which a vaccine against the zoonotic genotypes 3 and 4 and swine vaccination should be considered as a possible public health measure.This opinion review comprehensively addresses the HEV burden of professional exposure for butchers,slaughterhouse workers,veterinarians,farmers,hunters,and forestry workers delineates the current limits of protective work measures,and tackles future directions.展开更多
外观颜色是食品的一个重要属性,影响着人们对食品质量的感知。用于描述食品颜色且适于测量颜色差异的Hunter Lab体系、国际照明委员会(Commission International de IEclairage,CIE)LAB体系和CIELCH体系,已被广泛应用于食品工厂的颜色...外观颜色是食品的一个重要属性,影响着人们对食品质量的感知。用于描述食品颜色且适于测量颜色差异的Hunter Lab体系、国际照明委员会(Commission International de IEclairage,CIE)LAB体系和CIELCH体系,已被广泛应用于食品工厂的颜色测量中。本文综述了国内外Hunter Lab、CIELAB和CIELCH体系应用于食品颜色研究中的现状,对3种颜色体系的特性、3种体系在各类食品颜色研究中的最新进展进行了阐述,并对未来3种颜色体系应用的发展方向进行展望,以期为食品颜色研究应用提供参考。展开更多
Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a rare X-linked disorder caused by alterations in the iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) gene. In this study, IDS activity in peripheral mononuclear blood monocytes (PMBCs) was...Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a rare X-linked disorder caused by alterations in the iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) gene. In this study, IDS activity in peripheral mononuclear blood monocytes (PMBCs) was measured with a fluorimetric enzyme assay. Urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were quantified using a colorimetric assay. All IDS exons and intronic flanks were bidirectionally sequenced. A total of 15 mutations (all exonic region) were found in 17 MPS II patients. In this cohort of MPS II patients, all alterations in the IDS gene were caused by point nucleotide substitutions or small deletions. Mutations p.Arg88His and p.Arg172* occurred twice. All mu- tations were inherited except for p.Gly489Alafs*7, a germline mutation. We found four new mutations (p.Ser142Phe, p.Arg233Gly, p.Glu430*, and p.Ile360Tyrfs*31). In Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized PMBCs derived from the MPS II patients, no IDS protein was detected in case of the p.Ser142Phe and p.Ile360Tyrfs*31 mutants. For p.Arg233Gly and p.Glu430*, we observed a residual expression of IDS. The p.Arg233Gly and p.Glu430* mutants had a residuary enzymatic activity that was lowered by 14.3 and 76-fold, respectively, compared with healthy controls. This observation may help explain the mild disease phenotype in MPS II patients who had these two mutations whereas the p.Ser142Phe and p.Ile360Tyrfs*31 mutations caused the severe disease manifestation.展开更多
Objective: To determine the prevalence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feeding ticks removed from hunted wild animals. Methods: PCR was executed on DNA extracted from 77 tick pools to detect Anaplasma phagocytophil...Objective: To determine the prevalence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feeding ticks removed from hunted wild animals. Methods: PCR was executed on DNA extracted from 77 tick pools to detect Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp. Results: A total of 432 ticks were collected: 30(6.94%) Haemaphysalis punctata, 72(16.7%) Dermacentor marginatus and 330(76.38%) Ixodes ricinus. For each animal one or two pools of 3 ticks of the same species was constituted. Seventy-seven tick pools were examined by PCR: 58(75.32%) resulted infected and among them 14(18.18%) showed co-infections. In particular, 29(37.66%) pools were positive for Bartonella spp., 23(29.87%) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, 16(20.78%) for Rickettsia spp., and 5(6.49%) for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. All samples were negative for Coxiella burnetii. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the presence of several zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in the studied area, and underline the risk of exposure to infections for hunters not only during the outdoor activity, but also when they manipulate hunted animals infested by infected ticks.展开更多
Objective: To identify the mutations of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) gene, to reveal its mutation features, and to establish a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal gene diagnosis of Hunter syndrome. Methods: Urine...Objective: To identify the mutations of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) gene, to reveal its mutation features, and to establish a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal gene diagnosis of Hunter syndrome. Methods: Urine glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) assay, PCR and DNA sequencing were performed to detect mutation of IDS gene of the patient and his parents. Results: The result showed that the patient was: DS(++), HS(++), KS(-), CS(-), and that both of his parents were negative. A frame-shift deletion mutation (1062 del 16) was identified in exon 7 of the patient's IDS gene. His parents' genotypes were normal. Conclusion:The patient's mutation was not inherited by his parents but a novel one. The mutation probably altered the primary structure and tertiary structure of IDS enzyme protein remarkably and lowered the activity of IDS enzyme greatly. Therefore it is supposed to be the direct cause of the disorder.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus(HEV)is an emerging virus of global health concern.The seroprevalence rates differ greatly according to geographic region and population group.AIM To analyze the seroprevalence of HEV in ex...BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus(HEV)is an emerging virus of global health concern.The seroprevalence rates differ greatly according to geographic region and population group.AIM To analyze the seroprevalence of HEV in exposed(animal-related professions)and nonexposed populations,as well as solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.METHODS Forestry workers(n=93),hunters(n=74),and veterinarians(n=151)represented the exposed population.The general population(n=126)and pregnant women(n=118)constituted the control group.Transplant patients included liver transplant recipients(LTRs)(n=83),kidney transplant recipients(KTRs)(n=43),and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients(HSCRs)(n=39).HEV immunoglobulin G antibodies were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by the immunoblot test.RESULTS The HEV seroprevalence significantly differed between groups:Veterinarians 15.2%,hunters 14.9%,forestry workers 6.5%,general population 7.1%,and pregnant women 1.7%.In transplant patients,the seropositivity was highest in LTRs(19.3%),while in KTRs and HSCRs,the seroprevalence was similar to the general population(6.9%and 5.1%,respectively).A significant increase in seropositivity with age was observed from 2.9%in individuals less than 30 years to 23.5%in those older than 60 years.Sociodemographic characteristics(sex,educational level,area of residence,and number of household members),eating habits(game meat,offal,and pork products consumption),and environmental and housing conditions(drinking water supply,type of water drainage/sewer,waste disposal,domestic animals)were not associated with HEV seropositivity.However,individuals who reported a pet ownership were more often seropositive compared to those who did not have pet animals(12.5%vs 7.0%).CONCLUSION The results of this study showed that individuals in professional contact with animals and LTRs are at higher risk for HEV infection.In addition,age is a significant risk factor for HEV seropositivity.展开更多
摘要Bushmeat hunting is one of the greatest pressure to wildlife alongside habitat fragmentation, deforestation, land use change and climate change. Despite the interventions from government and Non Governmental Organization to reduce or divert the attention of rural people from the wild by providing alternative livelihood, the level of hunting either remains the same or kept on increasing. However, there is need to categorize and understand the types of hunters in different locality for better design and management of whatever alternative to be provided. The study assessed hunters’ types and their income made from hunting in Afi, Mbe and the Okwango Division of the National park and the rate of poaching activities. The snowball sampling was adopted for gathering data. A descriptive and inferential statistical tool was used to analyze the data collected. The respondents were interviewed with a view to obtaining information on the regularity of their hunting activities, the income made per month and reasons why they hunt and also their views on best alternative. Results revealed that majority of the respondent fall within the age of less than or equal to 40 years with primary and secondary school qualification in which are married with 3 - 12 children. Consequent to this fact hunting activities is effective and prevailing. It further revealed that despite numerous conservation efforts in these areas, poaching activities still prevail owing to the fact that the income made from poaching is much better than the alternative provided for hunters. Furthermore, the assessment also revealed that there are different types of hunters and this makes their income varies greatly. Thus, there are fulltime or core hunters (36.9%), occasional hunters (58.3%), Holiday hunters (2.9%) and social hunters (1.9%). It is therefore paramount to have a better view and understanding of the target group (Poachers) for better alternative and implementation.
摘要Mo Guizhen was 5 when she saw a real bed for the first time. She refused to ,sleep on it, accustomed asshe was to deer furs laid on the ground of hunters' huts in the depths of the Greater Hinggan Mountains in north- eastern China.
摘要Primitive man have managed to survive in the rigorous climatic conditions of the arctic regions in northeast Asia owing to the hunting for mammoth, bison, wooly rhinoceros and other Pleistocene mammals with the assistance of the laika, a domesticated wolf. This is how the colonization of the Arctic began. The domestic dog appeared in this region about 25 - 30 thousand years ago as a result of the severe climatic conditions in which both hunting tribes and the ancestors of the domestic dog had to live. A wolf is a predator, an able hunter. Therefore, most likely wolves were originally trained to hunt with humans—the leaders of the hunting pack. Thus, in northeast Asia, there was a direct relationship between man’s colonization of the Arctic, the appearance of the hunting dog, and a decrease in the number of mammoth, bison, and other large animals in the region, as a result of hunting when whole herds were killed.
摘要主题群:动物行为研究篇幅:312词建议用时:6分钟.1 For the first time,researchers have documented killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins cooperating to hunt salmon off the coast of British Columbia.This never-before-seen behavior,recorded on video,challenges previous understandings of interactions between these marine hunters and suggests a strategic and mutually beneficial partnership.
摘要In Manchester,England,a three-year-old boy from the US has become the first person in the world to successfully receive a special treatment for a rare health condition called Hunter Syndrome.Hunter Syndrome is caused by a gene in the body that doesn't work correctly(genes contain the instructions on how a person will develop and grow).This prevents the body from being able to keep some of its cells healthy,causing delays in development in young children.This condition can become very serious.
摘要Plague is among the most devastating diseases in human history1.However,early strains of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis lacked virulence factors that are required for the bubonic form until around 3,800 years ago2,3.Consequently,the morbidity and mortality of early plague strains remain unclear.Here we describe early plague strains that are associated with two phases of outbreaks among mid-Holocene hunter-gatherers near Lake Baikal in southeast Siberia,beginning from about 5,500 years ago.These outbreaks occur across four hunter-gatherer cemeteries,with a 39%detection rate for plague infection.By reconstructing kinship pedigrees,we show that small familial groups were affected,consistent with human-to-human spread of disease,and that the first outbreak occurred within a single generation.The infections appear to have resulted in acute mortality,especially among children(aged 8 to 11 years).We further note functional differences,including in the ypm superantigen locus,which is also present in present day Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.The new strains diverge ancestrally to known Y.pestis and constrain the timing of its emergence,indicating that this happened before approximately 5,700 years ago.These findings show that plague outbreaks happened earlier than previously thought and were indeed lethal.We contend that the occurrence of outbreaks among mid-Holocene hunter-gatherer communities well outside the sphere of Late Neolithic Europe challenges the notion that higher population densities and lifestyle changes during the Neolithic agricultural transition were prerequisites for plague epidemics.
摘要Ten Montana hunters are in a duck blind when 10 ducks fly over.All 10 hunters pick a duck at random to shoot at,and all 10 hunters fire at the same time.How many ducks could be expected to escape,on average。
摘要The zoonotic risk of hepatitis E virus(HEV)is well established.The HEV seroprevalence rates vary according to geographical region,assays used,and study cohorts.HEV infection is still underdiagnosed,implying the need to evaluate the disease's burden in the general population and specific risk groups,such as professionally exposed.Close contact with various animal reservoirs such as pigs,rabbits,sheep,dogs,wild boars,and deer has been associated with higher anti-HEV seroprevalence as a part of occupational exposure.While exact transmission routes remain to be determined,some general preventive measures such as proper hand hygiene,the usage of personal protective equipment,and the thermal processing of food before consumption should be followed.A“One-Health”multisectoral approach should be implemented to achieve optimal health and well-being outcomes,recognizing the interconnections between humans,animals,plants,and their shared environment,in which a vaccine against the zoonotic genotypes 3 and 4 and swine vaccination should be considered as a possible public health measure.This opinion review comprehensively addresses the HEV burden of professional exposure for butchers,slaughterhouse workers,veterinarians,farmers,hunters,and forestry workers delineates the current limits of protective work measures,and tackles future directions.
摘要外观颜色是食品的一个重要属性,影响着人们对食品质量的感知。用于描述食品颜色且适于测量颜色差异的Hunter Lab体系、国际照明委员会(Commission International de IEclairage,CIE)LAB体系和CIELCH体系,已被广泛应用于食品工厂的颜色测量中。本文综述了国内外Hunter Lab、CIELAB和CIELCH体系应用于食品颜色研究中的现状,对3种颜色体系的特性、3种体系在各类食品颜色研究中的最新进展进行了阐述,并对未来3种颜色体系应用的发展方向进行展望,以期为食品颜色研究应用提供参考。
摘要Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a rare X-linked disorder caused by alterations in the iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) gene. In this study, IDS activity in peripheral mononuclear blood monocytes (PMBCs) was measured with a fluorimetric enzyme assay. Urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were quantified using a colorimetric assay. All IDS exons and intronic flanks were bidirectionally sequenced. A total of 15 mutations (all exonic region) were found in 17 MPS II patients. In this cohort of MPS II patients, all alterations in the IDS gene were caused by point nucleotide substitutions or small deletions. Mutations p.Arg88His and p.Arg172* occurred twice. All mu- tations were inherited except for p.Gly489Alafs*7, a germline mutation. We found four new mutations (p.Ser142Phe, p.Arg233Gly, p.Glu430*, and p.Ile360Tyrfs*31). In Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized PMBCs derived from the MPS II patients, no IDS protein was detected in case of the p.Ser142Phe and p.Ile360Tyrfs*31 mutants. For p.Arg233Gly and p.Glu430*, we observed a residual expression of IDS. The p.Arg233Gly and p.Glu430* mutants had a residuary enzymatic activity that was lowered by 14.3 and 76-fold, respectively, compared with healthy controls. This observation may help explain the mild disease phenotype in MPS II patients who had these two mutations whereas the p.Ser142Phe and p.Ile360Tyrfs*31 mutations caused the severe disease manifestation.
摘要Objective: To determine the prevalence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feeding ticks removed from hunted wild animals. Methods: PCR was executed on DNA extracted from 77 tick pools to detect Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp. Results: A total of 432 ticks were collected: 30(6.94%) Haemaphysalis punctata, 72(16.7%) Dermacentor marginatus and 330(76.38%) Ixodes ricinus. For each animal one or two pools of 3 ticks of the same species was constituted. Seventy-seven tick pools were examined by PCR: 58(75.32%) resulted infected and among them 14(18.18%) showed co-infections. In particular, 29(37.66%) pools were positive for Bartonella spp., 23(29.87%) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, 16(20.78%) for Rickettsia spp., and 5(6.49%) for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. All samples were negative for Coxiella burnetii. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the presence of several zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in the studied area, and underline the risk of exposure to infections for hunters not only during the outdoor activity, but also when they manipulate hunted animals infested by infected ticks.
基金Project partly supported by the Ph.D. Program of the National Edu-cational Committee (No. 2000044)the Chinese Medical Board(2003), China
摘要Objective: To identify the mutations of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) gene, to reveal its mutation features, and to establish a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal gene diagnosis of Hunter syndrome. Methods: Urine glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) assay, PCR and DNA sequencing were performed to detect mutation of IDS gene of the patient and his parents. Results: The result showed that the patient was: DS(++), HS(++), KS(-), CS(-), and that both of his parents were negative. A frame-shift deletion mutation (1062 del 16) was identified in exon 7 of the patient's IDS gene. His parents' genotypes were normal. Conclusion:The patient's mutation was not inherited by his parents but a novel one. The mutation probably altered the primary structure and tertiary structure of IDS enzyme protein remarkably and lowered the activity of IDS enzyme greatly. Therefore it is supposed to be the direct cause of the disorder.
基金the Croatian Science Foundation(Emerging and Neglected Hepatotropic Viruses after Solid Organ and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation to Mrzljak A),No.IP-2020-02-7407.
摘要BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus(HEV)is an emerging virus of global health concern.The seroprevalence rates differ greatly according to geographic region and population group.AIM To analyze the seroprevalence of HEV in exposed(animal-related professions)and nonexposed populations,as well as solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.METHODS Forestry workers(n=93),hunters(n=74),and veterinarians(n=151)represented the exposed population.The general population(n=126)and pregnant women(n=118)constituted the control group.Transplant patients included liver transplant recipients(LTRs)(n=83),kidney transplant recipients(KTRs)(n=43),and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients(HSCRs)(n=39).HEV immunoglobulin G antibodies were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by the immunoblot test.RESULTS The HEV seroprevalence significantly differed between groups:Veterinarians 15.2%,hunters 14.9%,forestry workers 6.5%,general population 7.1%,and pregnant women 1.7%.In transplant patients,the seropositivity was highest in LTRs(19.3%),while in KTRs and HSCRs,the seroprevalence was similar to the general population(6.9%and 5.1%,respectively).A significant increase in seropositivity with age was observed from 2.9%in individuals less than 30 years to 23.5%in those older than 60 years.Sociodemographic characteristics(sex,educational level,area of residence,and number of household members),eating habits(game meat,offal,and pork products consumption),and environmental and housing conditions(drinking water supply,type of water drainage/sewer,waste disposal,domestic animals)were not associated with HEV seropositivity.However,individuals who reported a pet ownership were more often seropositive compared to those who did not have pet animals(12.5%vs 7.0%).CONCLUSION The results of this study showed that individuals in professional contact with animals and LTRs are at higher risk for HEV infection.In addition,age is a significant risk factor for HEV seropositivity.