Tracking enteric viruses in green vegetables from central Argentina: potential association with viral contamination of irrigation waters

PREZ, V.E.; MARTÍNEZ, L.C.; VICTORIA, M.; GIORDANO, M.O.; MASACHESSI, G.; RÉ, V.E.; PAVAN, J.V.; COLINA, R.; BARRIL, P.A.; NATES, S.V.

THE SCIENCE OF TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

Elsevier

Año: 2018 vol. 637-638 p. 665 - 671

0048-9697

Consumption of green vegetable products is commonly viewed as a potential risk factor for infectionwith entericviruses. The link between vegetable crops and fecally contaminated irrigation water establishes an environmentalscenario that can result in a risk to human health. The aimof thisworkwas to analyze the enteric viral qualityin leafy green vegetables from Córdoba (Argentina) and its potential association with viral contamination of irrigationwaters. During July?December 2012, vegetables were collected from peri−urban green farms (n = 19)and its corresponding urban river irrigationwaters (n=12). Also, urban sewage samples (n=6)were collectedto analyze the viral variants circulating in the community. Viruseswere eluted and concentrated by polyethyleneglycol precipitation and then were subject to Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction to assess the genomepresence of norovirus, rotavirus and human astrovirus. The concentrates were also inoculated in HEp−2(Human Epidermoid carcinoma strain #2) cells tomonitor the occurrence of infective enterovirus. The frequencyof detection of the viral groups in sewage, irrigation water and cropswas: norovirus 100%, 67% and 58%, rotavirus100%, 75% and 5%, astrovirus 83%, 75% and 32% and infective enterovirus 50%, 33% and 79%, respectively. A similarprofile in sewage, irrigation water and green vegetables was observed for norovirus genogroups (I and II) distributionaswell as for rotavirus and astrovirus G−types. These results provide the first data for Argentina pointingout that green leafy vegetables are contaminated with a broad range of enteric viruses and that the irrigationwater would be a source of contamination. The presence of viral genomes and infective particles in food thatin general sufferminimal treatment before consumption underlines that green crops can act as potential sourcesof enteric virus transmission. Public intervention in the use of the river waters as irrigation source is needed.