Possibilities of using mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis ) to predict rotavirus contamination in Albania
Published Online: Sep 20, 2023
Page range: 339 - 345
Received: Mar 30, 2023
Accepted: Sep 14, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0053
Keywords
© 2023 Arta Lugaj et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Introduction
Rotaviruses are non-enveloped viruses that each consist of 11 double-stranded RNA molecules. These viruses are able to persist in the environment, and therefore play a fundamental role in the epidemiology of gastroenteritis and severe diarrhoea in children worldwide. While mussels have been primarily used as indicators of chemical pollution, they can also be used to monitor viral contamination. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the
Material and Methods
A total of 102
Results
The presence of rotavirus in the Cape of Stillo samples in 2015 was noted in 47% of samples from site 1, 33% from site 2, and 52% from site 3. In Butrinti Lake the percentage of infected individuals in 2019 was 33% from site 1, 41% from site 2, and 33% from site 3, whereas in 2021, it was 50% from site 1, 19% from site 2, and 0% from site 3. In total the percentage of infected individuals off the Cape of Stillo in 2015 was 44%, in Butrinti Lake in 2019 it was 36%, and in Butrinti Lake in 2021 it was 23 %.
Conclusion
These results indicate the presence of rotavirus in the shellfish specimens tested, and further analysis is needed to assess the potential health risks associated with consuming these shellfish. This study also indicates that mussels can be used in marine virological surveillance programmes.