Foodborne viruses

Virus transmission can occur by the respiratory, fecal –oral and other routes. Foodborne viruses are an emerging food safety concern and represent a major cause of outbreaks of gastroenteritis. One of the reasons for this increased awareness is the improved laboratory capability to detect the groups of viruses causing gastroenteritis.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that each year there are 47.8 million episodes of foodborne illness and of those caused by known pathogens, 59% are caused by viruses.

Viruses need to enter living cells in order to replicate. Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot grow in food nor cause deterioration of the product.

Hepatitis A virus

Foodborne virus infection can be distinguished:
*Virus infections that cause gastroenteritis
*Virus infections that are enterically transmitted and cause hepatitis
*Virus infections that replicate in the human intestine but cause illness after they have been migrated to other organs.

Because foodborne virus infection may be asymptomatic, it is difficult to identify infected food handlers and separate them from food. Food handlers who appear healthy maybe be reservoirs of disease due to the long duration of asymptomatic shedding.

Heat represents the most efficient treatment to inactivate foodborne viruses and as a general rule, the higher the temperature, the higher and the faster the reduction in viral infectivity.
Foodborne viruses