First Report of Hepatitis E Virus in Shellfish in Southeast Italy

First Report of Hepatitis E Virus in Shellfish in Southeast Italy

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) represents one of the principal causative agents of hepatitis globally. Among the five HEV genotypes affecting humans, genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic and are the main source of hepatitis E in developed countries. HEV has been detected in several foods. The present work invest...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gianfranco La Bella, Maria Grazia Basanisi, Gaia Nobili, Valentina Terio, Elisabetta Suffredini, Giovanna La Salandra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-12-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
hepatitis E virus
shellfish
food-borne
risk assessment
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/1/43
Description
Summary:Hepatitis E virus (HEV) represents one of the principal causative agents of hepatitis globally. Among the five HEV genotypes affecting humans, genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic and are the main source of hepatitis E in developed countries. HEV has been detected in several foods. The present work investigated the presence of this virus in shellfish sold at retail in the Apulia region of Italy. The presence of HEV RNA was assessed by real-time RT-PCR in 225 shellfish samples collected during 2018. Overall, two (0.89%) of these samples tested positive for HEV RNA. To our knowledge, this is the first notification of the detection of HEV in mussels sold at retail in the Apulia region. These data highlight the potential role of shellfish as a vehicle for the transmission of viral pathogens.
ISSN:2076-3417

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