title: [Hepatitis A virus detection in shellfish from Tunisia by reverse transcription-nested PCR--investigation of a correlation between viral and bacterial contamination].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed at evaluating the contamination by hepatitis A virus (HAV) of 54 shellfish samples collected from five Tunisian shellfish harvesting areas and finding a correlation between bacterial and viral contamination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four shellfish samples were analysed in our study. Two methods of viral extraction were evaluated by reverse transcription-nested PCR. The first one was based on elution by glycine solution and the second one used a beef extract solution. Bacteriological determination (Samonella and E. coli) was carried out for all shellfish samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glycine extraction showed a higher detection rate of HAV compared to the saline beef extraction method. The hepatitis A virus was detected in 32 % of shellfish samples analysed. None of the samples revealed the presence of Samonella. From 17 samples positive for HAV, we found six samples showing a number of E. coli below the European legislation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An important HAV contamination was observed in our study. No correlation between bacterial and viral contamination was found.
authors: CNSTN, laboratoire de microbiologie et biologie moléculaire, pôle technologique, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisie.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Amri
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Hmaïed
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Loisy
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Lebeau
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Barkallah
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Saidi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Slim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005516:Food Microbiology / Q000379:methods*; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012475:Salmonella / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012758:Shellfish / Q000821:virology*; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004279:DNA, Viral