Evaluation of a Male-Specific DNA Coliphage Persistence Within Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica).

Male-specific coliphages (MSCs) are currently used to assess the virologic quality of shellfish-growing waters and to assess the impact of sewage release or adverse weather events on bivalve shellfish. Since MSC can have either DNA or RNA genomes, and most research has been performed exclusively on RNA MSCs, persistence of M13, a DNA MSC, was evaluated for its persistence as a function of time and temperature within Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Oysters were individually exposed to seawater containing a total of 10 to 10 pfu of M13 for 24 h at 15 °C followed by maintenance in tanks with as many as 21 oysters in continuously UV-sterilized water for up to 6 weeks at either 7, 15, or 22 °C.

Persistence of MS-2 Bacteriophage Within Eastern Oysters.

Male-specific bacteriophages have been proposed as human enteric virus indicators for shellfish. In this study, Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were individually exposed to 5.6 × 10 PFU of MS-2 for 48 h at 15 °C followed by collective maintenance in continuously UV-sterilized seawater for 0-6 weeks at either 7, 15, or 24 °C.

Inactivation of human norovirus using chemical sanitizers.

The porcine gastric mucin binding magnetic bead (PGM-MB) assay was used to evaluate the ability of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and trisodium phosphate to inactivate human norovirus within 10% stool filtrate. One-minute free chlorine treatments at concentrations of 33 and 189 ppm reduced virus binding in the PGM-MB assay by 1.48 and 4.

Susceptibility of murine norovirus and hepatitis A virus to electron beam irradiation in oysters and quantifying the reduction in potential infection risks.

Consumption of raw oysters is an exposure route for human norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV). Therefore, efficient postharvest oyster treatment technology is needed to reduce public health risks. This study evaluated the inactivation of HAV and the NoV research surrogate, murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1), in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) by electron beam (E-beam) irradiation.

Resilience of norovirus GII.4 to freezing and thawing: implications for virus infectivity.

Genogroup II.4 norovirus (NoV) remains the predominant NoV strain in food- and water-borne outbreaks. Capsid integrity as well as viral RNA persistence were determined for GII.

High-pressure inactivation of hepatitis A virus within oysters.

Previous results demonstrated that hepatitis A virus (HAV) could be inactivated by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (D. H. Kingsley, D.

Detection of both hepatitis A virus and Norwalk-like virus in imported clams associated with food-borne illness.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Norwalk-like virus (NLV) were detected by reverse transcription-PCR in clams imported into the United States from China. An epidemiological investigation showed that these clams were associated with five cases of Norwalk-like gastroenteritis in New York State in August 2000 (Food and Drug Administration Import Alert 16-50). They were labeled "cooked" but appeared raw.