Assessment of enterovirus contamination in mussel samples from Morocco

Summary In Morocco, shellfish sanitary quality analysis does not currently include enteric virus detection. Enteroviruses are classically detected by cell culture, but molecular methods such as RT-PCR are now broadly used alone or associated to cell culture. RT-PCR has the advantage of requiring less time and budget than cell culture. Bivalve mussels, being filter-feeders tend to accumulate viruses in contaminated seawater. In order to assess mussel contamination by enteroviruses, we screened samples of two origins, an aquaculture system and an area where wild mussels grow. Domestic sewage samples from an outlet near the above wild mussels growing area were also analysed. Viruses were concentrated from mussel meat by direct glycine elution and PEG 8000 precipitation. Total RNA was then extracted from the PEG precipitate by the guanidine thiocyanate method and used in RT-PCR. Enterovirus genomes were detected in 10% of wild shellfish samples, whilst none was present in the aquaculture samples. Since organisms harvested in both growing areas are used for human consumption, the enterovirus contamination observed in this study may highlight a potential public health risk and illustrate the importance of including routine virological analysis of shellfish in Morocco.