Seafood Species Research Articles

Spatial and temporal distribution of toxic compounds in sediments and potential ecological effects on macrobenthic faunal species in Hangzhou Bay from 2003 to 2015

The development of toxic compounds in sediment and macrobenthos species in Hangzhou bay (2003–2015) was evaluated. Concentrations were compared to Chinese sediment quality guidelines (CN-SQG) and risk assessed by the ecological risk index (ERI) and t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE). To study seafood contamination, sediment and swimming crabs were collected.Chromium, copper, and arsenic exceeded CN-SQG. Organic contaminants did not exceed CN-SQG; however, t-SNE revealed a negative relationship with benthic species numbers. Since 2003, half of the benthic species have disappeared. Species sensitive to contamination were not observed after 2003–2007, while crustacea species are more tolerant: cadmium levels in crabs were 5–17 times those in the sediment, demonstrating strong bioaccumulation. These results suggest that metals and organic pollutants pose ecological and seafood risks.For good environmental management in HZB, it is important to analyze sediment, benthic biota, and seafood species for compounds known to pose toxic risks.

DNA Barcoding of Commercial Three High Value Red Sea Fishes from the Egyptian Market

Fish play an essential role in food security and are regarded as one of Egypt's primary food resources and, therefore, significantly im-pact the national economy. The three main sources of fish production in Egypt: marine (Red and Mediterranean seas), lakes and the River Nile, due to the elevated incidence of species substitution at the global level, precise identification of seafood species on the mar-kets considered a solution for food safety con-trol institutions and human consumer protec-tion. Mislabeling occurs when one species is substituted for another. Different species of red sea marine fish were collected from the Egyp-tian market. According to the Arabic name in the fish market, Samples searched for English and Latin family names in (www.fishdata-base.org). Commercial samples were success-fully extracted and confirmed with 1.5% aga-rose gel electrophoresis. The result showed that the mtDNA gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) amplification was successful for all samples with high concentration, it was purified and sequenced for both directions and blasted using the NCBI database. Resulting in the identification of three commercially essen-tial and expensive fish samples, Baghbaghan (parrotfish), Hamour (Greasy Grouper) and kahaya (Spiny squirrelfish). One of them cor-rectly identified according to the market name, while the other two are recorded mistakenly under another name.

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in seafood from two Brazilian coastal areas: Implication for human risk assessment

Pharmaceuticals (PhACs) are considered emerging contaminants with potential accumulation in aquatic organisms. Thus, seafood consumption may cause long-term effects and health risk for consumers. In the present study, the occurrence of PhACs in seafood from two Brazilian coastal areas, Sepetiba Bay (n = 43) and Parnaiba Delta River (n = 48), was determined for the first time, and their potential risk for human health was assessed. An eco-friendly multi-analytes method was used, after being validated for the different types of matrices (mussels, fatty and lean fish). All compounds under study were detected at least in four seafood species, including chloramphenicol, an antibiotic prohibited in animal foods. Most PhACs had mean concentrations below limit of quantification. Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as well as simvastatin and carbamazepine were the main PhACs bioaccumulated in edible parts of seafood species from Brazil. The high trophic level carnivorous species, snook, was the most contaminated by NSAIDs, while bivalves were the seafood more contaminated by lipid regulators. The profile of contamination did not vary among different types of matrix, except in relation to carbamazepine and ketoprofen. These PhACs were more abundant in species from Sepetiba Bay, an area highly impacted by human influence. The estimated daily exposure for Brazilian population that consumes the studied species was up to 20.3 ng/kg bw/day via carib pointed-venus and 25.7 ng/kg bw/day via snooks, lower than acceptable daily intake. Thus, consumption of seafood species from Sepetiba Bay and Parnaiba Delta River seems to be safe to the population in what concerns the PhACs studied.

Consumer seafood preferences related to alternative food networks and their value chains

Alternative food networks (AFNs) for seafood employ different approaches along their diverse value chains, yet typically share five common attributes – supporting small-scale and place-based fishing operations through the provision of traceable, sustainable, and high-quality seafood products to customers. While a range of benefits from AFNs have been described, the potential for broad impacts of seafood AFNs remains largely unknown due to a range of constraints, including a lack of understanding of consumer preferences related to different seafood attributes, including those central to AFNs. This paper utilizes an online survey of consumers in Canada (n = 2006) to assess the potential demand for products supplied through seafood AFNs. Results indicate both barriers and opportunities for growing seafood AFNs. While respondents’ top three consumed seafood species (salmon, tuna, and shrimp) aligned with North American consumption patterns, a willingness to substitute between species was also indicated, which could present market opportunities for seafood AFNs offering a variety of product options based on local seasonality and abundance. Respondents prioritized product quality attributes situated at the consumption end of the value chain (e.g., taste, appearance, freshness, affordability, health benefits, and seafood type) over harvesting-related features (e.g., sustainability, production method, and fair compensation to harvesters). In addition, despite some degree of willingness to pay (WTP) – especially for high quality seafood – respondents were not willing to pay large price premiums for other features emphasized by seafood AFNs. Finally, different consumer segments interact differently with seafood AFNs’ five key features – for example, higher WTP was evidenced amongst younger consumers. Overall, the paper suggests that seafood AFNs should consider emphasizing their high-quality product offerings, pricing their products competitively, and targeting specific consumer segments when looking to expand into new markets.

Semi-industrial development of nutritious and healthy seafood dishes from sustainable species

This study aimed to devise innovative, tailor-made, appealing, tasty and semi-industrialized dishes, using sustainable and under-utilized seafood species (bib, common dab, common carp, blue mussel and blue whiting), that can meet the specific nutritional and functional needs of children (8-10-years), pregnant women (20-40-years) and seniors (≥60-years). Hence, contests were organised among cooking schools from 6 European countries and the best recipes/dishes were reformulated, semi-industrially produced and chemically and microbiologically evaluated. The dishes intended for: (i) children and pregnant women had EPA + DHA and I levels that reached the target quantities, supporting the claim as “high in I”; and (ii) seniors were “high in protein” (24.8%-Soup_S and 34.0%-Balls_S of the energy was provided by proteins), “high in vitamin B12”, and had Na contents (≤0.4%) below the defined limit. All dishes reached the vitamin D target value. Sausages_C, Roulade_P, Fillet_P and Balls_S had a well-balanced protein/fat ratio. Roulade_P presented the highest n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA ratio (3.3), while Sausages_C the lowest SFA/UNS ratio (0.2). Dishes were considered safe based on different parameters (e.g. Hg-T, PBDEs, Escherichia coli). All represent dietary sources contributing to meet the reference intakes of target nutrients (33->100%), providing valuable options to overcome nutritional and functional imbalances of the three groups.

FishChoice 2.0: Information on health benefits / risks and sustainability for seafood consumers

Since seafood is a significant source of nutrients with known health benefits, its consumption is promoted as a healthy food choice. However, seafood can also contain potentially hazardous environmental pollutants. In the context of the ECsafeSEAFOOD FP7 project, FishChoice (www.fishchoice.eu) was developed as a communication tool to help to the consumers to take the most appropriate decisions on their seafood consumption habits. FishChoice relies on scientific information that allows calculating, on an individual basis, intakes of nutrients and pollutants derived from seafood consumption. In the framework of the EU-H2020 funded SEAFOODTOMORROW project, an optimized version of the online tool has been released. FishChoice is available in 25 EU languages with a customized list of seafood species per EU country, considering specific (national) consumption habits. The list of nutrients has been extended according to the latest EFSA recommendations, while pollutants data incorporate results from recent studies. The sustainability of seafood consumption has been also implemented, providing recommendations to help preserve the marine environment. Finally, FishChoice is suitable not only for consumers, but also health professionals, schools and academia, as well as the industrial sector and public health providers.

Determination of microplastics in the edible green-lipped mussel Perna viridis using an automated mapping technique of Raman microspectroscopy

Microplastics are prevalent in marine environments and seafood and thus can easily end up in human diets. This has raised serious concerns worldwide, particularly in Hong Kong where the seafood consumption per capita can be three times higher than the global average. This study focused on the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis, a popular seafood species which is subject to a high risk of contamination by microplastics due to its filter-feeding nature. P. viridis was collected from five mariculture sites in Hong Kong and assessed for its body load of microplastics using an automated Raman mapping approach. Microplastics were found in all sites, with an average of 1.60–14.7 particles per mussel per site, or 0.21–1.83 particles per g wet weight. Polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate were detected among the microplastics, mainly as fragments or fibres in the size range of 40–1000 µm. It was estimated that through consumption of P. viridis, the population in Hong Kong could ingest up to 10,380 pieces of microplastics per person per year. These estimated rates were high compared to the values reported worldwide, suggesting the potential human health risk of microplastics in Hong Kong and adjacent areas.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus.

The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) is an economically, culturally, and ecologically important species found across the temperate and tropical North and South American Atlantic coast. A reference genome will enable research for this high-value species. Initial assembly combined 200× coverage Illumina paired-end reads, a 60× 8 kb mate-paired library, and 50× PacBio data using the MaSuRCA assembler resulting in a 985 Mb assembly with a scaffold N50 of 153 kb. Dovetail Chicago and HiC sequencing with the 3d DNA assembler and Juicebox assembly tools were then used for chromosome scaffolding. The 50 largest scaffolds span 810 Mb are 1.5–37 Mb long and have a repeat content of 36%. The 190 Mb unplaced sequence is in 3921 sequences over 10 kb with a repeat content of 68%. The final assembly N50 is 18.9 Mb for scaffolds and 9317 bases for contigs. Of arthropod BUSCO, ∼88% (888/1013) were complete and single copies. Using 309 million RNAseq read pairs from 12 different tissues and developmental stages, 25,249 protein-coding genes were predicted. Between C. sapidus and Portunus trituberculatus genomes, 41 of 50 large scaffolds had high nucleotide identity and protein-coding synteny, but 9 scaffolds in both assemblies were not clear matches. The protein-coding genes included 9423 one-to-one putative orthologs, of which 7165 were syntenic between the two crab species. Overall, the two crab genome assemblies show strong similarities at the nucleotide, protein, and chromosome level and verify the blue crab genome as an excellent reference for this important seafood species.

Essential and toxic elements in sustainable and underutilized seafood species and derived semi-industrial ready-to-eat products

Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), pouting (Trisopterus luscus) and common dab (Limanda limanda) are underutilized fish species attractive in terms of sustainability. However, there is limited information about their nutritional characteristics as well as potential presence of environmental contaminants. Specimens caught in European waters were characterised for their content of essential and toxic elements. The three species, along with common carp and blue mussels, relevant for sustainable production too, were employed as raw materials for the development of semi-industrial ready-to-eat products. Calcium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, zinc, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel were determined by ICP-MS, whereas methylmercury was determined by HPLC-ICP-MS. These two techniques were also used to determine arsenic and inorganic arsenic, respectively, in blue mussel and derived products. Differences in element contents were related to the biology and ecology of the examined species. Intake of nutrients and exposure to contaminants were assessed in relation to the relevant DRVs and HBGVs, respectively. All the species were found to be valuable dietary sources of selenium. Pouting was rich in iodine and mussels were good sources of iodine and iron. These two species had comparatively higher levels of mercury and lead, respectively. However, the levels of contaminants were generally of no concern in both raw materials and products. Iodine bioaccessibility was studied in blue whiting, a species with an intermediate iodine content, and found to be 98%. Selenium:mercury molar ratios were assessed and found to be favourable. The semi-industrial products were found to be good sources of selenium and many of them provided appreciable amounts of calcium, iron, copper and zinc.

Decreases in Concentrations and Human Dietary Intakes of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Korean Seafood Between 2005 and 2017.

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in 23 seafood species widely consumed by the Korean population in the periods of 2005-2007, 2010-2011, and 2015-2017. The Σ82PCB (sum of 82 PCB congeners) and Σ19PBDE (sum of 19 PBDE congeners) concentrations in the seafood samples of 2015-2017 were 0.06-6.69ng/g wet weight and 0.01-1.60ng/g wet weight, respectively. The Σ82PCB and Σ19PBDE concentrations in the samples were significantly correlated. Elevated PCB and PBDE concentrations were found in fatty fish, such as herring, mackerel, and tuna. The current human intakes of PCBs and PBDEs were much lower than the tolerable daily intake or lowest observed adverse effect level. The levels and human dietary intakes of PCBs and PBDEs in the 2015-2017 survey showed decreases of 17-73% and 57-86%, respectively, compared with those in 2005-2007 and 2010-2011 surveys. This indicates that global bans on PCBs and PBDEs have been effective, and their levels and human exposure to them have been gradually declining.

Distribution and Transformation of Mercury in Subtropical Wild-Caught Seafood from the Southern Taiwan Strait.

Wild-caught seafood contains significant amounts of mercury. Investigating the mercury accumulation levels in wild-caught seafood and analyzing its migration and transformation are of great value for assessing the health risks of mercury intake and for the tracking of mercury sources. We determined the concentrations and stable mercury isotopic compositions (δ202Hg, Δ199Hg, Δ200Hg, and Δ201Hg) of 104 muscle samples collected from 38 species of seafood typically harvested from the Taiwan Shallow Fishing Ground (TSFG), Southern Taiwan Strait. Overall, the concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) ranged from 11 to 479 ng/g (dry weight, dw) and 10 to 363 ng/g (dw), respectively, and were below the threshold value established by the USEPA and the Chinese government. Demersal and near-benthic species accumulated more mercury than pelagic or mesopelagic species. The characteristics of mercury isotopes in wild-caught marine species differed in terms of vertical and horizontal distribution. Considering the known peripheral land sources of mercury (Δ199Hg ≈ 0), the mercury in seafood from the TSFG (Δ199Hg > 0) did not originate from anthropogenic emissions. The ratio of Δ199Hg and Δ201Hg (1.18 ± 0.03) suggested that the photoreduction of Hg (II) and the photo-degradation of MeHg equally contributed to mass-independent fractionation. Based on the values of Δ199Hg/δ202Hg (1.18 ± 0.03), about 67% of the mercury in seawater had undergone microbial demethylation prior to methylation and entering the seafood. Additionally, the vertical distribution of Δ200Hg in seafood from different water depths implies that mercury input was in part caused by atmospheric deposition. Our results provide detailed information on the sources of mercury and its transfer in the food web in offshore fishing grounds.

High Levels of Tetrodotoxin (TTX) in Trumpet Shell Charonia lampas from the Portuguese Coast.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin, considered an emerging toxin in Europe where recently a safety limit of 44 µg TTX kg−1 was recommended by authorities. In this study, three specimens of the large gastropod trumpet shell Charonia lampas bought in a market in south Portugal were analyzed using a neuroblastoma cell (N2a) based assay and by LC-MS/MS. N2a toxicity was observed in the viscera of two individuals analyzed and LC-MS/MS showed very high concentrations of TTX (42.1 mg kg−1) and 4,9-anhydroTTX (56.3 mg kg−1). A third compound with m/z 318 and structurally related with TTX was observed. In the edible portion, i.e., the muscle, toxin levels were below the EFSA recommended limit. This study shows that trumpet shell marine snails are seafood species that may reach the markets containing low TTX levels in the edible portion but containing very high levels of TTX in non-edible portion raising concerns regarding food safety if a proper evisceration is not carried out by consumers. These results highlight the need for better understanding TTX variability in this gastropod species, which is critical to developing a proper legal framework for resources management ensuring seafood safety, and the introduction of these gastropods in the markets.

Application of DNA barcoding and metabarcoding for species identification in salmon products

ABSTRACT Mislabelling is a significant manifestation of food fraud. Traditional Sanger sequencing technology is the gold standard for seafood species identification. However, this method is not suitable for analysing processed samples that may contain more than one species. This study tested the feasibility of next-generation sequencing in identifying mixed salmon products. Salmon samples containing up to eight species were amplified using 16S rRNA mini-barcode primers, and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq2500 platform. All species were accurately identified, and mixtures as low as 1% (w/w) could be detected. Furthermore, this study conducted a market survey of 32 products labelled as salmon. For pure and mixed fish products, Sanger and next-generation sequencing techniques were respectively used for species identification, and for NGS results, we also used real-time PCR method to cross-validate the mixed products to further verify the accuracy of the DNA metabarcoding technology established in this study. DNA barcoding and metabarcoding of commercial salmon food products revealed the presence of mislabelling in 16 of 32 (50%) samples. The developed DNA barcoding and metabarcoding methods are useful for the identification of salmon species in food and can be used for quality control of various types of salmon products.

Arsenic speciation and bioaccessibility in raw and cooked seafood: Influence of seafood species and gut microbiota.

Seafood is an important source of arsenic (As) exposure for humans. In this study, 34 seafood samples (fishes, shellfishes, and seaweeds) collected from different markets in China were analysed for total and speciated As before and after boiling. Furthermore, the As bioaccessibility was also assessed using a physiologically based extraction test combined with the Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystems. The results showed that the total As (tAs) contents of seaweeds (raw: 44.12; boiled: 31.13, μg·g-1 dw) were higher than those of shellfishes (raw: 8.34; boiled: 5.14, μg·g-1 dw) and fishes (raw: 6.01; boiled: 3.25, μg·g-1 dw). Boiling significantly decreased the As content by 22.24% for seaweeds, 32.27% for shellfishes, and 41.42% in fishes, respectively (p<0.05). During invitro digestion, the bioaccessibility of tAs and arsenobetaine (AsB) significantly varied between the investigated species of seafood samples in gastric (G) and small intestinal phases (I) (p<0.05). Higher tAs bioaccessibility (G: 68.6%, I: 81.9%) were obtained in fishes than shellfishes (G: 40.9%, I: 52.5%) and seaweeds (G: 31%, I: 53.6%). However, there was no significant differences in colonic phase (C) (p>0.05). With the effect of gut microbiota, arsenate (AsⅤ) was transformed into monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and arsenite (AsⅢ) in C. Moreover, as for seaweeds, an unknown As compound was produced.

Boat to bowl: resilience through network rewiring of a community-supported fishery amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Fisheries are coupled human–natural systems locally, regionally, and globally. However, human–nature interactions within and between adjacent and distant systems (metacouplings) are rarely studied in fisheries despite their prevalence and policy relevance. We filled this knowledge gap by using network models to identify how the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has rewired couplings and reshaped resilience of Fishadelphia, a community-supported fishery program (CSF) in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, USA. As abstractions illustrating interactions among supply-chain actors, networks are helpful for characterizing flows and assessing resilience to disturbances such as those induced by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Since Fall 2018, 18 seafood (finfish and shellfish) species totaling 6273 lbs have flowed from harvesters (n = 4), to processors (n = 2), to a distributor, to retailers (n = 2), and finally to customers (n = 183). The pandemic reduced the number of seafood harvesters and processors (−50%), seafood flow quantity (−25%), species diversity in the marketplace (−67%), and species per supplier (−50%) before stopping flows in mid-March 2020, when Fishadelphia closed for 3 months. Models of network optimality indicated that the pandemic fragmented metacouplings that previously allowed multiple seafood suppliers to provide diverse products to customers. However, demand-side resilience increased through dispersed, socially distanced, efficient seafood delivery that expanded the customer base and generally increased customer satisfaction. This resilience dichotomy—wherein the post-closure network was less resilient than the pre-closure network in supply-side species diversity, but more resilient in demand-side social distancing, delivery efficiency, and customer satisfaction—has implications for rewiring networks to sustain CSFs and other local food systems amid ecological and social disturbances.

Identification and Authentication of Commercial Mi-iuy Croaker (Miichthys miiuy) Products by Two PCR-Based Methods

Mi-iuy croaker (Miichthys miiuy) is one of the most important ingredients of Korean cuisine and, thus, has a high economic value. However, the similar morphological traits among croaker fish belonging to family Sciaenidae are often exploited for seafood fraud. In this study, an M. miiuy-specific primer set was designed and further improved by the development of a rapid and cost-effective duplex PCR method. The specificity of M. miiuy-specific duplex PCR was tested using 22 seafood species, and no cross-reactivity was observed. The sensitivity of the PCR assay was found to be 0.1 ng/μL. For the first time, labeling compliance of 43 commercial mi-iuy croaker products was verified using both full DNA barcoding and M. miiuy-specific duplex PCR methods. For species identification, BOLDSYSTEMS and GenBank database were screened with the consensus sequences of each PCR product as a query. This identification result was further confirmed using the M. miiuy-specific duplex PCR method. The findings of this study revealed that principal species substituted were law croaker (Pseudotolithus senegallus, n = 4), bigeye croaker (Micropogonias megalops, n = 3), whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri, n = 1), and tigertoothed croaker (Otolithes ruber, n = 1). A significant percentage (21%) of mislabeling was present in commercial mi-iuy products sold on the South Korean market.

Microplastics in Seafood: How Much Are People Eating?

Microplastics in Seafood: How Much Are People Eating?

Evaluation and optimisation of sample preparation protocols suitable for the analysis of plastic particles present in seafood

Small plastic particles are found ubiquitously in marine and freshwater ecosystems and consequently, their inhabitants. When aquatic animals are consumed as seafood, human exposure to those plastic particles is possible. However, only a few studies, applying largely different analytical procedures, assessed microplastics content in the edible part of seafood. In this study, ten protocols for the extraction of microplastics from biota were chosen and tested for their suitability to digest the edible part of a broad range of seafood species. The following criteria were used for this assessment: 1) feasibility to filtrate the entire digested sample with one filter of approximately 1 μm pore size, 2) effect of reagents applied during the sample preparation on the polymer integrity as assessed by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy as well as pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry, 3) total sample preparation time and the possibility to avoid the use of expensive reagents. The most suitable protocol was found to be an enzymatic-alkaline approach, consisting of a quick hydrolysis of proteins with pepsin for 2 h and a consecutive alkaline hydrolysis for 4 h, both at 37 °C for most of the tested seafood species. Digestion efficiency of the optimised protocol was tested with fish fillets and soft tissues of commercially relevant molluscs and crustacean species. Compared to most other protocols described in literature, an adequate digestion of the seafood matrix was achieved faster without being significantly more cost- or labour-intensive. Moreover, only negligible degradation of eleven commercially relevant polymers excluding polyacrylonitrile was observed. Polymer integrity was assessed by a change in particle weight or surface as well as spectroscopic and chromatographic data. The optimised sample preparation protocol aims to support future method standardisation efforts in order to assess the dietary uptake of microplastics in humans.

Migration histories and perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) loads in an estuarine fish: A novel union of analyses to understand variation in contaminant concentrations.

Previous studies have shown that accumulation of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in the tissues of aquatic species is highly variable. Movement and migration patterns in these species represent an important consideration when evaluating contaminant accumulation in exposed biota, and may have a large influence on the risk profiles for migratory seafood species. In this study, relationships between PFAA concentrations in muscle and liver tissue, and recent fish migration history (inferred from metals profiles in fish otoliths, otherwise known as otolith chemistry) were evaluated in Sea Mullet (Mugil cephalus). A greater number of PFAAs, and higher concentrations, were found in liver compared to muscle tissue. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was present in highest concentrations in both muscle and liver tissues, and there was strong correlation in concentrations between these two tissues. PFOS was found to decrease and increase alongside recent strontium and barium concentrations (respectively) in the otolith, suggesting higher concentrations of PFAAs in fish recently exposed to comparatively lower salinity environments. This study highlights how otolith chemistry can be employed to examine links between contaminant concentrations in fish, and their recent migration history. This approach shows promise for studying contaminant residues in mobile seafood species within the natural environment.

Incidence of hepatitis A and hepatitis E viruses and norovirus and rotavirus in fish and shrimp samples caught from the Persian Gulf

ABSTRACT Foodborne viruses including hepatitis A virus (HAV), norovirus (NoV), rotavirus (RoV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are easily transmitted through contaminated seafoods. The current research was done to assess the incidence of RoV, NoV GI and GII,hAV and hEV in fish and shrimp samples caught from the Persian Gulf, Iran. Three-hundred and twenty fish and shrimp samples were collected. The presence of foodborne viruses were assessed by the real-time PCR. Forty-nine out of 320 (15.31%) fish and shrimp samples were positive for foodborne viruses. Distribution of hAV, NoV GI and NoV GII amongst all studied samples were 0.93%, 5.93% and 8.43%, respectively. hEV and RoV viruses were not found in studied samples. Parastromateus niger and Scomberomorus commerson fish and Penaeus monodon shrimp were the most frequently contaminated samples. Simultaneous incidence of hAV and NoV GI and hAV and NoV GII were 0.31% and 0.93%, respectively. Distribution of foodborne viruses in samples collected through spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons were 14.28%, 9.33%, 11.76% and 24.44%, respectively. Findings revealed that the incidence of foodborne viruses was significantly associated with seafood species and also season of sampling.