viral pathogens, unlike bacterial pathogens, cannot be enriched.
This study reports on the concentration, detection, and characterization
of NoV in shellfish implicated in several outbreaks that
occurred during the years 2009e2014. During this time, states’
Departments of Health and/or FDA regional shellfish specialists
requested technical assistance in the analysis of shellfish for
possible norovirus contamination. Clinical samples from ill individuals
in most of the outbreaks were analyzed by the states’
Department of Health for NoV genogroup I (GI) and genogroup II
(GII). Oysters were received at FDA’s Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory
and analyzed for the presence of norovirus using the ultracentrifugation
protocol and real-time RT-qPCR described in this study.
Positive samples were also amplified by conventional RT-PCR using
primers from the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) regions
and/or the capsid region of the norovirus genome.
During this study, NoV was detected and quantified from
shellfish implicated in outbreaks. In addition, NoV was characterized
and the probable infectious particles ingested were determined
based NoV levels and oyster consumption