Publication Abstract

Viruses and bivalve shellfish : the development of sanitary controls

Viruses and bivalve shellfish : the development of sanitary controls

D. N. Lees, K. Henshilwood, R. Rangdale and W. J. Dore

Sewage contaminated bivalve filter-feeding shellfish are well recognised vectors of food poisoning. During recent years most disease outbreaks have been caused by Norwalk-like virus causing gastroenteritis and by hepatitis A virus. However, legal controls for shellfish sanitation throughout the world are based on conventional bacterial indicators of water quality such as E.coli and the faecal coliforms. It is now widely recognised that such controls are not adequate to contain the risk posed by human enteric viruses. During recent years progress has been made by a number of workers on PCR based methods for the detection of viral pathogens in both shellfish and shellfish waters. Researchers have also made suggestions for alternative indicators, such as the FRNA bacteriophage, more able to indicate the risk from human enteric viruses than can the conventional faecal coliform group. These advances offer new tools for monitoring viral contamination of shellfish harvesting areas and for investigation of virus behaviour during such critical processes as shellfish purification. It is now increasingly clear that simple compliance with E.coli/faecal coliform criteria in marketed shellfish offers little guarantee of freedom from viral contamination. As yet, however, there has been little debate about the potential role of viral monitoring in the food safety regulation framework. Although major advances have undoubtedly been made significant technical challenges remain to be addressed prior to the wide scale adoption of such methods in a routine food safety context. The implications of recent advances is considered in the context of the potential further development of sanitary controls for shellfish.

Reference:

D. N. Lees, K. Henshilwood, R. Rangdale and W. J. Dore. 2003. D. N. Lees, K. Henshilwood, R. Rangdale and W. J. Dore. Viruses and bivalve shellfish : the development of sanitary controls. Proceedings of the 4th International Molluscan Shellfish Safety Conference, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, July 2002. 341-352pp

D. N. Lees*, K. Henshilwood*, R. Rangdale* and W. J. Dore*

Proceedings of the 4th International Molluscan Shellfish Safety Conference, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, July 2002. 341-352pp