STUDY ON THE NOROVIRUS PRESENCE IN MYTILUS GALLOPROVINCIALIS SUBJECTED TO DEPURATION IN TWO C.D.Ms. IN THE SARDINIA REGION

Abstract

Noroviruses (NoVs), known as Norwalk-Like Viruses (NLV) or Small-Round-Structured-Viruses (SRVS), are among the most frequent causes of acute viral gastroenteritis in human beings, often associated with food poisoning, if raw or poorly cooked bivalve molluscs (mussels, clams and oysters) are ingested. In compliance with EU regulations, the safety of these products is evaluated according to bacteriological paramenters (Salmonella and E.coli) as provided for by Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005, biotoxicological parameters, as provided for by Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004, and chemical parameters, as provided for by Regulation (EC) No. 1881/06. This essay focuses on the evaluation of NoV concentration levels in Mytilus galloprovincialis populations, farmed in 2009 in two different Mussels Depuration Centers (CDMs) in Sardinia (Italy). During the assessment procedures, Noroviruses were detected for the first time on the regional territory with one-step TaqMan real-time RT-PCR