It is estimated that viruses are the cause of about 67% of all diseases caused by foodborne pathogens. Their infectious dose is very low (10 – 100 virus particles). Contamination of food products with intestinal viruses can occur at any stage of production: cultivation, harvesting, transportation, procurement, packaging, preparation or delivery to consumers.
People can be infected with viruses in different ways, but the main route of contamination, when it comes to food-borne viruses, is fecal-oral. Already the infection causes contact with patients who are involved in the distribution or preparation of food. When it comes to viruses that can be transmitted through food, two stand out as the dominant causes of the disease, namely noroviruses (NoV), the causes of viral gastroenteritis and Hepatitis A virus (HAV).
Strategies proposed for virus control in food including adherence to good hygiene, agricultural and industrial practices, the HACCP system, educational initiatives and vaccination.
Emphasis should be placed on the use of new molecular biology techniques and methodological improvements to detect viruses in food.
Regulation (EU) No 323/2014 The European Union prescribes an increased level of official control by testing for norovirus in imported frozen strawberries from countries that are not in the European Union.
In the Republic of Serbia, there is legislation: “Regulation on special conditions of hygiene of raspberries and blackberries in fresh or frozen state at all stages of trade – Official Gazette of RS 80/2011”, which applies only to norovirus, in raspberries and blackberries
SP Laboratory has been accredited since 2018 for the testing of presence of Norovirus G1 and G2 and Hepatitis A virus, using real-time PCR method.
