Hepatitis A Virus and Hepatitis E Virus as Food- and Waterborne Pathogens-Transmission Routes and Methods for Detection in Food

Viruses. 2023 Aug 12;15(8):1725. doi: 10.3390/v15081725.

Abstract

Foodborne viruses are an important threat to food safety and public health. Globally, there are approximately 5 million cases of acute viral hepatitis due to hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) every year. HAV is responsible for numerous food-related viral outbreaks worldwide, while HEV is an emerging pathogen with a global health burden. The reported HEV cases in Europe have increased tenfold in the last 20 years due to its zoonotic transmission through the consumption of infected meat or meat products. HEV is considered the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide currently. This review focuses on the latest findings on the foodborne transmission routes of HAV and HEV and the methods for their detection in different food matrices.

Keywords: RNA; bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS); detection in food; foodborne disease; foodborne outbreak; foodborne transmission; hepatitis A virus; hepatitis E virus; viral detection.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Hepatitis A virus*
  • Hepatitis E virus*
  • Meat
  • Public Health

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.