FELINE CALICIVIRUS AS A MODEL SYSTEM FOR HEAT INACTIVATION STUDIES OFSMALL ROUND STRUCTURED VIRUSES IN SHELLFISH

Commercial heat treatment procedures for molluscan shellfish are based on data obtained for the inactivation of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in c ockles. However, the most frequently reported illness associated with consumption of bivalve molluscs is gastroenteritis caused by small rou nd structured viruses (SRSVs) of the Norwalk group. Conditions for ina ctivation of SRSVs are unknown. In this study a feline calicivirus was used as a model for the SRSV group and conditions for its heat inacti vation determined. Experiments showed that feline calicivirus is more readily inactivated in shellfish than HAV, and confirmed that current heating recommendations to the UK shellfish industry are adequate. A r everse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for the detection of calicivirus in shellfish was developed and results compar ed with isolation in cell culture. The RT-PCR detected virus in some s amples that failed to yield virus on culture. This has important impli cations if molecular virology techniques are to be used in the design and monitoring of shellfish treatment procedures and for routine testi ng of food samples.