Need to Know More About Foodborne Viruses?

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Mcleod, Catherine | Le Guyader, Soizick

Edité par CCSD -

International audience. There are two broad groupings of viruses that pose a risk to foods, those that are spread via the faecal-oral route, and zoonotic viruses which infect animals that humans then consume. Of the viruses which are spread through the faecal-oral route, norovirus stimulates acute gastroenteritis (AGE), is recognized as a leading cause of foodborne illness, and is responsible for an estimated 20% of all foodborne infections. Hepatitis A virus is also transmitted via food and is important due to the severity of illness it causes. Other human enteric viruses, such as sapovirus, rotavirus, aichivirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus, also cause AGE and pose a risk to the food supply chain, but the lack of surveillance for these viruses means that the impact they have on human health and their prevalence in foods is unclear. Zoonotic viruses that are spread via food are less common than the enteric viruses, however in recent years two emerging zoonotic viruses have caused outbreaks, Hepatitis E virus (deer/pig meat) and flavivirus (tick-borne encephalitis—raw milk products)—increased surveillance of these foods is needed to understand the potential human health impact. New technologies such as next generation sequencing hold promise for broader screening of foods for a diverse array of known and unknown viruses. Such an approach would support a better understanding of the human health impact from foodborne viruses, and identification of contamination sources impacting foods. While there are many technologies (e.g., cold plasma, high pressure processing) that are being investigated to reduce viral loading in foods post production, the best option to reduce risk is to ensure hygiene throughout the food supply chain.

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