Investigation of parasitic and viral pathogens in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in the Gulf of Izmir, Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate Microsporidia spp. parasite, hepatitis A virus (HAV), and norovirus (NoV) contamination in mussels collected from 8 stations in the inner, middle, and outer regions of the Gulf of Izmir.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study carried out between August 2009 and September 2010 in the Gulf of Izmir, Turkey, 15 mussels collected from each of the stations each season were pooled and homogenized to create a single representative sample. Thirty representative samples were available for analysis. Direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR), RT-nested PCR, and RT-booster PCR were used to investigate the pathogens.


RESULTS
The mussels were negative for Microsporidia spp., but 8 (26.7%) samples analyzed were positive for HAV and 9 (30%) were positive for NoV. Excluding Foca and Gediz, viral contamination was detected in all of the stations sampled.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that viral contamination is present in mussels in the Gulf of Izmir and may pose a potential threat to human health in the region. Necessary measures should be taken to prevent future illness due to these pathogens.
Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey. E-mail. nuralerol@adu.edu.tr.
Nural
N
Erol
Songül B
SB
Delibaş
Soykan
S
Özkoç
Ceren
C
Ergüden
Ümit C
ÜC
Aksoy
D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000821:virology*; D005506:Food Contamination; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014421:Turkey