title: Bioaccumulation efficiency, tissue distribution, and environmental occurrence of hepatitis E virus in bivalve shellfish from France.
abstract: Hepatitis E virus (HEV), an enteric pathogen of both humans and animals, is excreted by infected individuals and is therefore present in wastewaters and coastal waters. As bivalve molluscan shellfish are known to concentrate viral particles during the process of filter feeding, they may accumulate this virus. The bioaccumulation efficiencies of oysters (Crassostrea gigas), flat oysters (Ostrea edulis), mussels (Mytilus edulis), and clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) were compared at different time points during the year. Tissue distribution analysis showed that most of the viruses were concentrated in the digestive tissues of the four species. Mussels and clams were found to be more sensitive to sporadic contamination events, as demonstrated by rapid bioaccumulation in less than 1 h compared to species of oysters. For oysters, concentrations increased during the 24-h bioaccumulation period. Additionally, to evaluate environmental occurrence of HEV in shellfish, an environmental investigation was undertaken at sites potentially impacted by pigs, wild boars, and human waste. Of the 286 samples collected, none were contaminated with hepatitis E virus, despite evidence that this virus is circulating in some French areas. It is possible that the number of hepatitis E viral particles discharged into the environment is too low to detect or that the virus may have a very short period of persistence in pig manure and human waste.
authors.affiliation: Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, LSEM-SG2M, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grodzki
authors.affiliation: Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, LSEM-SG2M, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaeffer
authors.affiliation: Ifremer, LER-PC, La Tremblade, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Côme
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Piquet
authors.affiliation: Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, LSEM-SG2M, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Le Saux
authors.affiliation: Ifremer, LER-BN, Dinard, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chevé
authors.affiliation: Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, LSEM-SG2M, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ollivier
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U892, CNRS, UMR6299, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Le Pendu
authors.affiliation: Ifremer, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, LSEM-SG2M, Nantes, France sleguyad@ifremer.fr.
authors.forename: Françoise S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Le Guyader
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000821:virology*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005602:France; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012758:Shellfish / Q000821:virology*; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral