title: Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Hepatitis A virus and norovirus in bivalve molluscs in Southern Italy.
abstract: European Legislation has fixed microbiological, chemical and biotoxicological limits for shellfish but no limits for viruses. In the present study we report the results of an investigation on Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Norovirus (NoV) contamination in 59 bivalve shellfish collected during the years 2011-2012 in Southern Italy. All the samples of Mytilus galloprovincialis and of Solen marginatus were negative for HAV whereas 6.8% of them were positive for Norovirus GI (NoVGI) and 11.9% positive for Norovirus GII (NoVGII). Samples were also negative for Salmonella spp., while 16 of them (27%) were positive for E. coli. No correlation was found between E. coli and NoV contamination in bivalve molluscs. Moreover, the Competent Authorities are advised to take into serious consideration additional measures for the legislation in force in order to guarantee the consumer's health.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilatico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Dipartimento di Sanità Animale, Via Salute 2, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aprea
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galiero
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viscardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005516:Food Microbiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007558:Italy; D029322:Norovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Bivalve molluscs; Escherichia coli; Foodborne disease; Hepatitis A; Norovirus; Salmonella spp.; Southern Italy