Viral outbreaks can result from the consumption of contaminated bivalve mollusks. However, despite the regulation related to enteric bacteria in food products, the consumption of raw and undercooked mollusks remains linked to viral epidemics in human populations. Real-time RT-PCR is a highly sensitive approach for detecting and quantifying enteric viruses, and after eliminating enzymatic amplification inhibitors from samples of interest, sensitive and specific tests, like real-time RT-PCR, can facilitate the detection and quantification of a wide range of viruses that are concentrated in mollusk digestive tissues. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of Group-A rotaviruses in mussel (Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758) specimens (n=576) collected downstream of the Oued El Maleh Estuary, which is along the coast of Mohammedia City in Morocco, using real-time RT-PCR. Rotavirus A RNA was detected in 37.5% (n=18) of the 48 sample batches, and viral loads ranged from 0.42×101 to 1.8603×104 genomic copies per g digestive tissue. Most (72.22%) of the positive samples were collected during the wet season (September-April), and the probability of detecting rotaviruses was significantly greater during the wet season than during the dry season (P<0.001). Monitoring Rotavirus A and similar viruses in shellfish may help prevent viral contamination and preserve public health.
Rotavirus A is the causative agent of 90% of acute gastroenteritis in children under 5, which kills 1 to 3 million children per year. Their strong resistance in the environment, their inter-species transmission as well as their power of genetic recombination can give rise to new reasserting that may be harmful to public health. The simultaneous search for the presence of rotavirus A in different environmental and clinical biotopes and matrices as well as the monitoring of the seasonal evolution of episodes is of major importance. At cost, genetic monitoring of rotaviruses shows a correlation between the presence of different genotypes of RVA in the environment and the rate of morbidity, Hence the need to monitor the emergence of new circulating strains with a view to integrating them into routine immunization programmes appropriate for each region in order to limit the spread of the disease.
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