Detection of Hepatitis A RNA, Hepatitis E RNA, Human Adenovirus F DNA, and Norovirus RNA in Fresh and Frozen Berry Products at Point of Retail in Ireland

Abstract

Soft fruits are at particular risk of contamination with enteric viruses such as Hepatitis A virus (HAV), Hepatitis E Virus (HEV), Norovirus (NoV), Human Adenovirus (HAdV) and Sapovirus (SaV). The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, the presence of these biological agents in ready to eat (RTE) berries at point of retail in Ireland. A sampling strategy was designed in which RTE fresh and frozen strawberries and raspberries were purchased from five retailers between May and October 2018. Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) assays for HEV RNA, Nov RNA, SaV RNA, and human Adenovirus species F DNA (HAdV-F) were performed on 239 samples (25g portions). Viral nucleic acid was present in 6.7% (n = 16) of samples tested as follows: HAV RNA (n = 5), HAdV-F DNA (n = 5), HEV RNA (n = 3) and NoV GII RNA (n = 3). Sapovirus RNA was not detected in any product. No significant differences were found between berry type, fresh/frozen status, or supermarket source. This study suggests a risk that exists across all retail outlets however only low levels of nucleic acid ranging from 0 to 16 genome copies/g were present. Although these findings may reflect non-viable/non-infectious virus the continued provision of risk mitigation advice to consumers is warranted and further work is required to ensure control measures to reduce contamination are implemented and enforced.

Evaluation of Prevalence of Hepatitis E Clinical Markers among Donors in Estonia

“…In countries with tropical and subtropical climates, HEV1 and HEV2 infection occurs mainly through contaminated water, while in countries with cold and temperate climates, the virus is suggested to spread mostly by eating raw pork or contact with pigs carrying the virus [ 4 ]. Evidence of the long-term survival of HEV on fresh and frozen strawberries has been reported [ 5 ]. Our previous studies have shown a high prevalence of HEV in Estonian domestic pigs and wild boars, which are considered the main reservoir of HEV [ 6 ].…”