STUDY OF VIRAL AND BACTERIAL INDICATORS IN COCKLES AND MUSSELS

Forty-two mussel and cockle samples were collected from two polluted a reas of the Atlantic coast in France, No cytopathogenic enterovirus wa s isolated after inoculation to cell cultures, but entero-virus RNA wa s detected from 100% of the mussels and 80% of the cockle samples. Gen e probes did not detect any HAV RNA but it was detected by PCR in 33% of cockle and 43% of mussel extracts. Infectious HAV could be isolated by inoculation to PLC/PRF/5 cells from five of six HAV-PCR positive s amples, Viral indicators represented by somatic coliphages were presen t in 100% of the cockle and 86% of the mussel samples, Regarding bacte rial indicators, 100% of the mussel and 95% of the cockle samples cont ained less than 300 faecal coliforms 100 g(-1). No correlation could b e established between the concentrations of faecal coliforms and strep tococci, nor between the presence of somatic coliphages and the presen ce of virus or viral RNA. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd