title: Prevalence of Foodborne Viruses in Mussels in Southern Italy.
abstract: In this study, the prevalence of various enteric viruses in Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mediterranean mussel) belonging to class A and class B mollusc-harvesting areas in the Campania region in southern Italy was evaluated. One hundred and eight mussels were analysed using real-time reverse transcription PCR during a 2-year collection period (2014-2015) to detect the following viruses: human norovirus (genogroups I and II), rotavirus, astrovirus, sapovirus, aichivirus, hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus. Overall, 50.93% of mussels were contaminated by at least one of the tested viruses. Of these virus-positive mussels, 63.63% were contaminated by two or more viruses. In 2014, only three of the eight investigated viruses were detected: astrovirus, sapovirus and aichivirus, whereas in 2015, seven of the eight viruses were detected (only hepatitis E virus was not identified). Astrovirus was the most frequently detected virus in both sampling periods. In 2014, sapovirus was detected at the same frequency as astrovirus (16.00%), followed by aichivirus (8%). In 2015, astrovirus (32.53%) was most frequently detected, followed by norovirus GII (26.50%), sapovirus (18.07%), hepatitis A virus (16.87%), rotavirus (16.87%), aichivirus (13.25%) and norovirus GI (12.05%).This study describes, for the first time, the presence of aichivirus and sapovirus in mussels in Italy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Via Salute, 2, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy. giovanna.fusco@cert.izsmportici.it.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vial Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Bartolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Via Salute, 2, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cioffi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vial Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ianiro
authors.affiliation: Veterinarian Epidemiological Surveillance Center, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Via Salute, 2, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vial Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monini
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Southern Italy, Via Salute, 2, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy. mamoroso@izsmportici.it.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8663-7445
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Amoroso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000821:virology*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012758:Shellfish / Q000821:virology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Aichivirus; Astrovirus; Hepatitis; Mussels; Norovirus; Real-Time RT-PCR; Rotavirus; Sapovirus