Índices de Riesgo en relación a la transmisión de gastroenteritis aguda a partir de alimentos contaminados con Norovirus

Abstract

The investigation of viruses in foods has become a prime concern for public health as a consequence of viral diseases outbreaks linked to the consumption of contaminated fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, water and fish. Norovirus (NoV) stands out as the main virus responsible for foodborne disease and the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in the world. It is an enteric virus, with high environmental persistence and low infectious dose (1-100 particles). NoV has been identified in over 60% of AGE outbreaks recorded in Argentine since 2004. Currently, food testing for the detection of pathogenic viruses is not mandatory in Argentine and the information available on the prevalence of NoV and foodborne diseases is scarce and outdated. In this context, the present work addresses the risk assessment of different foodstuff contaminated with NoV, identifying and characterizing the virus and its effects on human health. In 2019, registered outbreaks of NoV in Argentine affected more than 4000 people. According to the indices obtained, it was estimated that the given data does not accurately represent all infected cases. It is considered essential to generate a high impact outbreak reporting system, which could allow the estimation of the risk of presence of NoV in different foods, identifying the genotypes and genogroups. A better understanding of the virology and epidemiology of this infectious agent will allow the implementation of preventive measures and better decision making by the responsible organizations.