Survival and persistence of norovirus, hepatitis A virus, and feline calicivirus in marinated mussels.
Noroviruses (NV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) are foodborne enteric viruses associated with outbreaks of disease following consumption of raw or lightly cooked bivalve shellfish. Marinated mussels are a popular delicacy, but there is no published information on whether enteric viruses survive the marination process. The survival and persistence of HAV, NV, and a surrogate calicivirus, feline calicivirus (FCV), in marinated mussels over time was determined. NV, HAV, and FCV were inoculated into marinated mussels and marinade liquid and then held at 4 degrees C for up to 4 weeks. Survival of HAV and FCV was quantified by determining the 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50), and these results were correlated with those of the reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay. The persistence of nonculturable NV was determined by RT-PCR assay only. Over 4 weeks, HAV survived exposure to acid marinade at pH 3.75. There was a 1.7-log reduction in HAV TCID50 titer but no reduction in NV or HAV RT-PCR titer after 4 weeks in marinated mussels. FCV was inactivated in acid conditions although it was still detectable by RT-PCR. To simulate preharvest virus contamination and commercial marination processing, experiments using fresh mussels infected with HAV and NV were performed. HAV and NV persistence was determined using semiquantitative real-time RT-PCR, and HAV infectivity was determined by the TCID50 assay. HAV retained infectivity following simulated commercial marination and exposure to acid conditions over 4 weeks. The survival of pathogenic enteric viruses in marinated mussels constitutes a potential health risk and so is of concern to public health authorities.
Communicable Disease Group, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Ltd, Porirua, New Zealand.
Joanne
J
Hewitt
Gail E
GE
Greening
D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000821:virology*; D017927:Calicivirus, Feline / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005516:Food Microbiology; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009520:New Zealand; D029322:Norovirus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011634:Public Health; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012758:Shellfish / Q000821:virology*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
D012367:RNA, Viral