Rotavirus and enterovirus: through irrigation waters to green vegetables.

PREZ, VE; MARTÍNEZ, LC; MASACHESSI, G; GIORDANO, MO; BARRIL, PA; NATES, SV

Houffalize

Simposio; 13th International Double-Stranded RNA virus symposium; 2018

The link between vegetable crops and fecally contaminated irrigation water establishes an environmental scenario that can result in a risk to human health. In Argentina there is no legislation mandating enteric viruses monitoring in foods. The aim of this study was to assess rotavirus (RV) detection frequency and G-types diversity as well as the presence of infective enterovirus (iEV) in raw vegetables and the corresponding irrigation water used for primary production. The study was conducted in a leafy green vegetable farm located in Colonia Caroya, in the center of Argentina. During a six month period (June-December 2014) a total of 15 water samples and 46 raw vegetables were collected. Water samples and elution buffer from vegetables were concentrated (100X) and RT-nested PCR was applied for RV detection and characterization. Also the concentrates were inoculated in CaCo2 cells to monitor the occurrence of iEV. RV was detected in 26% (4/15) of the irrigation water and in 13% (6/46) of the vegetable samples. The genotypes found in water were G3 60% (3/5) and G9 40% (2/5) and in vegetables G2 22% (2/9), G3 66% (6/9) and G9 12% (1/9). iEV was detected in both matrixes studied. These results point out that green leafy vegetables are contaminated with RV and iEV and that the irrigation water would be a source of contamination. The presence of viral genomes and infective particles in food that in general suffer minimal treatment before consumption underlines that green crops can act as potential sources of enteric virus transmission.