African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12514

Full Length Research Paper

Detection of enterovirus in mussels from Morocco by cell culture and real-time PCR

Lalla Meryem Idrissi Azzouzi
  • Lalla Meryem Idrissi Azzouzi
  • Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Hygiene, 27 Avenue Ibn Batouta, B.P. 769, Rabat, Morocco.
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Samira Senouci
  • Samira Senouci
  • Laboratory of Microbiology and Food Hygiene, National Institute of Hygiene, 27 Avenue Ibn Batouta, B. P. 769, Rabat, Morocco.
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Maria El Qazoui
  • Maria El Qazoui
  • Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Hygiene, 27 Avenue Ibn Batouta, B.P. 769, Rabat, Morocco.
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Hicham Oumzil
  • Hicham Oumzil
  • Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Hygiene, 27 Avenue Ibn Batouta, B.P. 769, Rabat, Morocco.
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Mariam Naciri
  • Mariam Naciri
  • School of Sciences, Mohammed V University, 4 Avenue Ibn Batouta, B.P. 1014, Agdal, Rabat, Morocco.
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  •  Received: 08 June 2017
  •  Accepted: 21 August 2017
  •  Published: 23 August 2017

Abstract

The bivalve shellfish are filter feeders and they act as natural bio-filters in seawater and can thus efficiently bio-concentrate and bio-accumulate enteric viruses in their digestive tissue. In Morocco, shellfish sanitary quality analysis does not currently include enteric virus detection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to detect the presence of enterovirus in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected from three wild populations (Bouregreg estuary, Yacoub Al Mansour coast and Harhoura coast) in order to get an overview on the viral contamination in the aquatic environment. Between February 2014 and February 2015, two hundred and eighty-eight samples were collected and tested for viral contamination using cell culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) for intratypic differentiation (ITD). The results by cell culture and real-time PCR showed that the consumption of mussels originated from a contaminated area revealed a clear risk of infection. For this reason, the presence of enterovirus in shellfish production area represents a potential health risk by causing serious illnesses (gastroenteritis, hepatitis and poliomyelitis).

 

Key words: Enterovirus, shellfish, viral contamination, cell culture, real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR).

Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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