Forty samples of fresh produce collected from retail food establishments were examined to determine the occurrence of Escherichia coli, F-specific coliphages, and noroviruses. An additional six samples were collected from a restaurant undergoing investigation for a norovirus outbreak. Nineteen (48%) of the retail samples and all outbreak samples were preprocessed (cut, shredded, chopped, or peeled) at or before the point of purchase. Reverse transcription-PCR, with the use of primers JV 12 and JV 13, failed to detect norovirus RNA in any of the samples. All six outbreak samples and 13 (33%) retail samples were positive for F-specific coliphages (odds ratio undefined, P = 0.003). Processed retail samples appeared more likely to contain F-specific coliphages than unprocessed samples (odds ratio 3.8; 95% confidence interval 0.8 to 20.0). Only two (5.0%) retail samples were positive for E. coli; outbreak samples were not tested for E. coli. The results of this preliminary survey suggest that F-specific coliphages could be useful conservative indicators of fecal contamination of produce and its associated virological risks. Large-scale surveys should be conducted to confirm these findings.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4315/0362-028x-67.11.2387 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Assessing the basis for regulatory crediting of virus LRVs for secondary biological wastewater treatment: A systematic review.
Water Res
March 2025
Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV 89193, United States. Electronic address:
Regulatory frameworks for potable reuse often include stringent log reduction value (LRV) targets to ensure public health protection against exposure to viruses and protozoa. To achieve overall LRV targets and reduce associated capital and operational costs, it is important to maximize LRV credits awarded to each unit process in a potable reuse treatment train. This may include processes that are historically uncredited or undercredited, such as secondary biological wastewater treatment incorporating activated sludge and secondary clarification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOccurrence of F-Specific Bacteriophages in Untreated and Treated Wastewaters in Mumbai.
Indian J Microbiol
March 2024
Bhavan's Research Center, Bhavan's College Campus, Andheri West, Mumbai, 400058 Maharashtra India.
Unlabelled: F + coliphages are considered as potential enteric viral indicators in water systems as a tool for on-site validation of wastewater treatment processes. The present study evaluated the occurrence of F + coliphages in wastewaters collected from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Mumbai city, to assess this potential. The detection and enumeration of F + coliphages was carried out from WWTPs Z1, Z3 and Z5 using the ISO 10705-1 and U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman adenovirus-associated health risk in the recreational waters of the Yal-ku lagoon in the Mexican Caribbean.
J Water Health
February 2024
Department of Community, Environment, & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
The study objective was to evaluate human faecal contamination impacts in the Yal-ku lagoon in the Mexican Caribbean and to estimate adenovirus infection and illness risks associated with recreational exposure during water activities. A total of 20 water samples (10 from each site × two sites) (50 L) were collected monthly over a period of 12 months from two selected sampling sites in the swimming area of the Yal-ku lagoon. The occurrence of faecal-associated viruses was explored, and human adenovirus (HAdV) and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) concentrations were quantified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA new understanding of somatic coliphages belonging to the Microviridae family in urban wastewater.
Water Res
February 2024
Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPME, F-54000 Nancy, France. Electronic address:
Somatic coliphages (SC) and F-specific RNA coliphages (FRNAPH) have been included in regulations or guidelines by several developed countries as a way of monitoring water safety and the microbiological quality of shellfish harvesting waters. SC are highly diverse in their morphology, size and genome. The Microviridae family contains three genera of phages (Alphatrevirus, Gequatrovirus, and Sinsheimervirus), all having a capsid of similar morphology (icosahedral) and size (25-30 nm in diameter) to that of common pathogenic enteric viruses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDetection and Quantification of Bacteriophages in Wastewater Samples by Culture and Molecular Methods.
Methods Mol Biol
November 2023
Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Article Synopsis
- Bacteriophages are useful for detecting fecal pollution in water and assessing viral pathogen risks, acting as effective surrogates for enteric viruses.
- Different types of bacteriophages, like somatic coliphages and Bacteroides phages, serve as indicators of general fecal contamination and specific fecal sources (human, bovine, etc.).
- Standardized cost-effective methods for detecting these bacteriophages have been established by regulatory bodies, and molecular techniques for identification in wastewater have also been developed.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!