Abstract:

In recent years, foodborne viral infections have acquired increasing importance. This study will provide an update on the literature and findings related to foodborne viruses. Viruses are obligate intracellular microorganisms that have a low infection dose, stable, and can remain in foods for a long time without loss of infectivity. For this reason, foods are vectors for the transmission of viral agents to humans. They can survive in adverse conditions such as stomach acidity, intestinal enzymes, alkaline conditions, and host defense system. Human norovirus (HuNoV), human rotavirus (HRV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), human astrovirus (HAstV), Aichi virus (AiV), sapovirus (SaV), human adenovirus HAdV), and enterovirus (EV) are known as the most important viral agents of food origin in terms of public health. In addition, infectious avian influenza virus (H5N1) and Nipah virus (NiV) are important zoonotic agents that have been seen as the cause of serious disease in both humans and animals in recent years. In foodborne viral infections, transmission is mainly by the fecal-oral route. Some foods or water, especially shellfish caught from waters contaminated with feces, are potential sources of viral agents. On the other hand, raw or uncooked food prepared by infected personnel or contaminated after cooking is also an important source of contamination. Nowadays, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)-based methods are widely used in the detection of food-borne viral agents. Apart from the cooling and freezing processes applied to foodstuffs in the control of viruses. In recent years, non-thermal technological food processing methods such as high pressure processing (HPP: High pressure processing), cold plasma (CP: Cold plasma), ultraviolet light (UV: Ultraviolet light), irradiation, and pulsed electric field (PEF: Pulsed electric field) usage is also gaining importance.

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