Chapter 15
Detection of Enteric Viruses in Shellfish
Gary P. Richards, Dean O. Cliver
, and Gail E. Greening
Introduction
Enteric viruses are major contaminants of foods, causing countless illnesses around
the world. Contaminated molluscan shellfish represent an important host for enteric
virus transmission to humans. Among the most significant foodborne enteric viruses
are the noroviruses, which contribute to the vast majority of illnesses, and hepatitis
A virus. The exceedingly small size of most enteric viruses and the inability to grow
them in cell cultures make their detection difficult. Therefore, molecular methods,
particularly reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), has become
the most common assay procedure. Before shellfish can be assayed, viruses must
first be separated from the shellfish tissues, clarified, and concentrated. This paper
describes some of the steps required for virus extraction and assay. A more
comprehensive review of virus extraction and assay procedures will be published
by the authors in the 5th edition of the American Public Health Association’s
Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (Richards
et al. in press).
Deceased. Dr. Dean Cliver, internationally recognized food virologist, approved the presentation
of this paper at the ICMSS before his death on May 16, 2011. He will long be remembered for his
significant contributions in this field for the past 50 years.
G.P. Richards ()
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, James W.W. Baker
Center, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA
e-mail: gary.richards@ars.usda.gov
G.E. Greening
Food Group, Kenepuru Science Centre, Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd.
(ESR), P.O. Box 50-348, Porirua 5240, New Zealand
e-mail: gail.greening@esr.cri.nz
G. Sauv´ e (ed.), Molluscan Shellfish Safety, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6588-7 15,
© Springer ScienceCBusiness Media Dordrecht 2014
177
Detection of Enteric Viruses in Shellfish
Gary P. Richards, Dean O. Cliver
, and Gail E. Greening
Introduction
Enteric viruses are major contaminants of foods, causing countless illnesses around
the world. Contaminated molluscan shellfish represent an important host for enteric
virus transmission to humans. Among the most significant foodborne enteric viruses
are the noroviruses, which contribute to the vast majority of illnesses, and hepatitis
A virus. The exceedingly small size of most enteric viruses and the inability to grow
them in cell cultures make their detection difficult. Therefore, molecular methods,
particularly reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), has become
the most common assay procedure. Before shellfish can be assayed, viruses must
first be separated from the shellfish tissues, clarified, and concentrated. This paper
describes some of the steps required for virus extraction and assay. A more
comprehensive review of virus extraction and assay procedures will be published
by the authors in the 5th edition of the American Public Health Association’s
Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (Richards
et al. in press).
Deceased. Dr. Dean Cliver, internationally recognized food virologist, approved the presentation
of this paper at the ICMSS before his death on May 16, 2011. He will long be remembered for his
significant contributions in this field for the past 50 years.
G.P. Richards ()
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, James W.W. Baker
Center, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA
e-mail: gary.richards@ars.usda.gov
G.E. Greening
Food Group, Kenepuru Science Centre, Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd.
(ESR), P.O. Box 50-348, Porirua 5240, New Zealand
e-mail: gail.greening@esr.cri.nz
G. Sauv´ e (ed.), Molluscan Shellfish Safety, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6588-7 15,
© Springer ScienceCBusiness Media Dordrecht 2014
177