Defecation of Norovirus from the Oyster Crassostrea gigas by Depuration Following Translocation of the Growing Area

The efficacy of depuration following growing area translocation for the defecation of norovirus was evaluated under experimental conditions using oysters Crassostrea gigas previously subjected to bioaccumulation of this virus at a waste treatment plant discharge site. Three trials were assayed in an open experimental system with a commercial oyster farm located in a shellfish growing area approved by the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify viruses in the digestive glands of oysters. The final viral loads in oysters after 12 days remained under the detection limit (10 copies/g digestive gland) of the real-time RT-PCR. This reduction trend showed two-phase removal kinetics, with an initial slow reduction or slight increase in viruses during the first 2 days of depuration and subsequent stabilization with 0.12 to 2.64 log unit norovirus copies/g digestive gland per 2 days of depuration for the remaining time.

자연정화에 의한 양식굴(Crassostrea gigas) 중 노로바이러스 저감화