Effect of Heat Treatment on Male specific Coliphage and Norovirus Concentrations in Norovirus Contaminated Oyster Crassostrea gigas

Abstract

Noroviruses (NoV) are known to cause acute epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide. Outbreak strains are predominantly genogroup I (GI) and genogroup II (GII) in oysters Crassostrea gigas. We investigated the changes in concentration of male specific coliphage (MSC) and NoV under heat treatment of the naturally contaminated oyster, Crassostrea gigas. After heat treatment for 5 min in 85℃, no viable MSC was detected. The concentrations of GI and GII NoV decreased by 1.65 log and 2.25 log, respectively, following heat treatment for 5 min at 100℃. Moreover, both GI and GII NoV were completely deactivated by heat treatment for 10 min at 100℃. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of norovirus infection from contaminated oysters, immersion in boiling water for at least 10 min is recommended.