Abstract

The contamination of fish with enteric pathogens like norovirus are risky to human health. Among 120 enteric viruses have been found in sewage, norovirus are the most common foodborne and waterborne viruses. There is a few information about norovirus contamination in fish culture pools and seafood in Iran. Therefore, the goal of this study was detection of contamination of fish in warm water and cold-water fish pools in Gillan province by using RT-PCR method. A total of 50 fish, were collected from 20 fish pools in Gillan province in Iran, during April to July 2020. Ten samples from ten rainbow trout pools and forty samples from ten warmwater fish pools (grass, bighead, silver and common carps) were collected. Amplification of 320 bp PCR product showed the presence of norovirus in collected samples. Three sample (6%) founded be contaminated with norovirus. One of positive samples were from rainbow trout that is cold water fish and the two other positive samples were from silver carp and common carp that both of them are warm water fish. The two warm water fish were from different pools in which the source of water entered to these pools was different. Although norovirus is the most common and environmentally stable food born viruses and considering low infectious dose of these viruses, detection of norovirus in water and seafood like fish are very important. The primer pair that were used in current study were specific to detect norovirus in human clinical specimens. So, all positive samples that were reported in current study contained strains that can infect human. This fact shows hazards for human health and needs further studies.

Keywords: Detection, Fish pool, Gillan province, Iran, Norovirus