Foodborne Viruses in Ireland –Identifying risk and mitigation approaches for Hepatitis E Virus, Hepatitis A Virus, Norovirus & Sapovirus –A project overview

Foodborne viruses pose a risk to public health and are a threat to consumer confidence in the safety of Irish food. Recent developments in testing methodologies now make it feasible to address current deficiencies in our... [ view full abstract ]

Foodborne viruses pose a risk to public health and are a threat to consumer confidence in the safety of Irish food. Recent developments in testing methodologies now make it feasible to address current deficiencies in our knowledge about the risk from viral pathogens in the Irish food chain. The aims of this national project are to determine the prevalence and molecular epidemiology Hepatitis E virus (HEV), Norovirus (NoV), Sapovirus (SoV) and Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) in relevant Irish food products including oysters. We will then apply genetic sequencing techniques to investigate the association between viruses identified in the food-chain and those isolated from human infections. Data generated from this research will contribute to a risk exposure assessment and will be used to identify potential control points and risk mitigation measures for viral foodborne pathogens.  The collaborative project will build a national capability in the area of food testing within three partner laboratories in Ireland.  We present here an overview of the aims of the project and identify the approaches we will use to meet these aims.