title: First molecular detection of Aichi virus in sewage and shellfish samples in the Monastir region of Tunisia.
abstract: The aims of our investigations were (1) to look for Aichi virus in environmental samples and (2) to compare the Aichi virus strains in both clinical and environmental samples in order to evaluate the role of environmental contamination as a possible vehicle for viral transmission. Aichi virus was detected in 15 (6%) sewage samples and in 4 (6.6%) shellfish samples. Aichi virus was identified for the first time in water samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed several clusters that occurred sequentially in time, suggesting some parallelism in the evolution of environmental and human strains. Aichi virus present in sewage reflects the viruses circulating in the community.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Biological Agents, Faculty of Pharmacy, rue Avicenne 5000, Monastir, Tunisia. khiraso@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sdiri-Loulizi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassine
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aouni
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gharbi-Khelifi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakly
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chouchane
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Guédiche
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pothier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aouni
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ambert-Balay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D052699:Kobuvirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D012722:Sewage / Q000821:virology*; D012758:Shellfish / Q000821:virology*; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage