Assessment of human enteric viruses in cultured and wild bivalve molluscs

Int Microbiol. 2009 Sep;12(3):145-51.

Abstract

Standard and real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) procedures were used to monitor cultured and wild bivalve molluscs from the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain) for the main human enteric RNA viruses, specifically, norovirus (NoV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), astrovirus (AsV), rotavirus (RT), enterovirus (EV), and Aichi virus (AiV). The results showed the presence of at least one enteric virus in 63.4% of the 41 samples analyzed. NoV GII was the most prevalent virus, detected in 53.7% of the samples, while NoV GI, AsV, EV, and RV were found at lower percentages (7.3, 12.2, 12.2, and 4.9%, respectively). In general, samples obtained in the wild were more frequently contaminated than those from cultured (70.6 vs. 58.3%) molluscs and were more readily contaminated with more than one virus. However, NoV GI was detected in similar amounts in cultured and wild samples (6.4 x 10(2) to 3.3 x 10(3) RNA copies per gram of digestive tissue) while the concentrations of NoV GII were higher in cultured (from 5.6 x 10(1) to 1.5 x 10(4) RNA copies per gram of digestive tissue) than in wild (from 1.3 x 10(2) to 3.4 x 10(4) RNA copies per gram of digestive tissue) samples.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Mollusca / virology*
  • Prevalence
  • RNA Virus Infections / veterinary*
  • RNA Virus Infections / virology
  • RNA Viruses / classification*
  • RNA Viruses / genetics
  • RNA Viruses / isolation & purification*
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Spain

Substances

  • RNA, Viral