Abstract

The efficacy and kinetic of depuration of hepatitis A virus (HAV) were evaluated under experimental conditions with Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) subjected previously to bioaccumulation processes. Seven independent trials (70kg of mussels each) were performed in a closed experimental system using two different water temperatures (13 and 17°C) during 7days. The real time RT-PCR technique with TaqMan probes was used for viral quantification. Qualitative infectivity assays were conducted to test the presence of infectious viral particles at the end of the depuration period. The depuration trials showed an average reduction of HAV levels of aproximately 1.1 Log units (>90%). However, the average final viral loads in shellfish samples remain at relatively high levels (6.5×103 RNA copies/g digestive tissue) and still infectious. A positive correlation between the initial and the final numbers of the viral RNA copies was observed. The reduction of HAV showed a two-phase removal kinetic, an initial logarithmic trendline, with a rapid reduction of viruses during the first 24–48h of depuration, and a subsequent stabilization with a slower depuration rate until the end of the process.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.