Occurrence and persistence of enteric viruses, arsenic and biotoxins in Pacific oysters farmed in an Italian production site

Battistini, Roberta; Listorti, Valeria; Squadrone, Stefania; Pederiva, Sabina; Abete, Maria Cesarina; Mua, Roberto; Ciccotelli, Valentina; Suffredini, Elisabetta; Maurella, Cristiana; Baioni, Elisa; Orlandi, Mino; Ercolini, Carlo; Serracca, Laura

Occurrence and persistence of enteric viruses, arsenic and biotoxins in Pacific oysters farmed in an Italian production site

2021

The presence of Norovirus (NoV) and Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in non-depurated and depurated oysters raised in the north-west Italian coast was investigated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Total and inorganic arsenic (As) and the presence of marine biotoxins (DSP, ASP, PSP) by LC-MS were also investigated. NoV was detected through all the sampling period in non depurated and depurated oysters with highest levels during wintertime (>10⁴ genome copies per gram, gc/g) and minimum values in summer below the LOQ (<130/140 gc/g). HEV has never been found as well as biotoxins. Total As concentration was found in oysters in the range 0.45–3.0 mg/kg, while inorganic As was found in all samples in concentrations below the LOQ (<0.020 mg/kg). The study highlights how the 24 h depuration process didn't reduce significantly NoV levels and therefore the high concentration of NoV in oysters could represent a risk for consumers especially during winter and spring months.

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