COLUMBUS, Ohio – Discovering that hepatitis E virus is associated with sperm in pigs suggests the virus may be both sexually transmitted and linked to male infertility, according to a new study.
Hepatitis E (HEV) is the leading cause of the acute viral liver infection in humans worldwide, mostly in developing regions where sanitation is poor. The virus is also endemic in pigs in the United States – though it is present mostly in organs rather than muscle, and is killed when the meat is cooked.
Because HEV has been linked to fatal pregnancy complications and reports of male infertility in the developing world, researchers at The Ohio State University explored its infectivity in pigs, whose reproductive anatomy closely resembles that of humans.
After inoculating pigs...
When darkness falls on central Ohio during the total solar eclipse on April 8, will animals think it’s time to go to bed? Will they be anxious? Will they care?
Scientists from The Ohio State University and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are taking advantage of the rare celestial event to find out.
“It’s a unique opportunity to understand how so many different animals respond to a weird thing,” said Courtney Anderson, a PhD student in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) who is spearheading the effort for Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Her counterpart at the zoo is Adam Felts, director of animal well-being.
“The likelihood that you’re going to find a wild animal during an event like this...
