• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1709-1715
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• 2021

Outbreaks of food poisoning due to the consumption of norovirus-contaminated shellfish continue to occur. Male-specific (F+) coliphage has been suggested as an indicator of viral species due to the association with animal and human wastes. Here, we compared two methods, the double agar overlay and the quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR)-based method, for evaluating the applicability of F+ coliphage-based detection technique in microbial contamination tracking of shellfish samples. The RT-PCR-based method showed 1.6-39 times higher coliphage PFU values from spiked shellfish samples, in relation to the double agar overlay method. These differences indicated that the RT-PCR-based technique can detect both intact viruses and non-particle-protected viral DNA/RNA, suggesting that the RT-PCR based method could be a more efficient tool for tracking microbial contamination in shellfish. However, the virome information on F+ coliphage-contaminated oyster samples revealed that the high specificity of the RT-PCR- based method has a limitation in microbial contamination tracking due to the genomic diversity of F+ coliphages. Further research on the development of appropriate primer sets for microbial contamination tracking is therefore necessary. This study provides preliminary insight that should be examined in the search for suitable microbial contamination tracking methods to control the sanitation of shellfish and related seawater.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.898-903
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• 2015

Noroviruses (NoV) are known to cause acute epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide. Outbreak strains are predominantly genogroup I (GI) and genogroup II (GII) in oysters Crassostrea gigas. We investigated the changes in concentration of male specific coliphage (MSC) and NoV under heat treatment of the naturally contaminated oyster, Crassostrea gigas. After heat treatment for 5 min in $85^{\circ}C$, no viable MSC was detected. The concentrations of GI and GII NoV decreased by 1.65 log and 2.25 log, respectively, following heat treatment for 5 min at $100^{\circ}C$. Moreover, both GI and GII NoV were completely deactivated by heat treatment for 10 min at $100^{\circ}C$. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of norovirus infection from contaminated oysters, immersion in boiling water for at least 10 min is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.454-459
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• 2016

Pre- or post-harvest processing is required to mitigate the risk of norovirus infection mediated by shellfish or seafood. We investigated the environmental resistance of human norovirus (HuNoV) under various conditions of temperature, salinity, and pH in seawater. Male-specific coliphage (MSC) was as the reference virus for all tests. At 4℃, HuNoV GII4 spiked into seawater was continually detected by RT-PCR for 35 days, regardless of salinity or pH level. It maintained nearly stable concentrations, meaning HuNoV can sustain a viral population in seawater long enough to be accumulated by shellfish and other filter feeders during winter. MSC was also stable at 4℃ although viral infectivity dropped sharply after 28 days. The effects of salinity and pH on MSC were indistinct. At 25℃ the detectable period of HuNoV GII4 by RT-PCR in seawater decreased to about one-third or half of the period at 4℃. High salinity (32 psu) and alkaline pH (8.5) were also unfavorable for sustaining HuNoV abundance at 25℃ in seawater. The resistance patterns of MSC to high temperature, high salinity, and alkaline pH were more dramatic and viral infectivity decreased over time, almost in direct proportion to experimental days. MSC was undetectable after 12 days under all salinities and pH levels at 25℃.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2017

Norovirus causes frequent epidemic viral gastroenteritis in Korea. The team for the control of noroviral foodborne outbreaks (NOROTECL) executed a project to trace the cause of norovirus contamination in agricultural products and environmental samples to reduce norovirus outbreaks in Korea. Between January and November in 2015, the contaminations by norovirus and indicator microorganisms such as coliforms, Escherichia coil and male specific coliphage (MSC) were examined in 80 agricultural products, 80 soil samples, 78 human feces samples, 3 animal feces samples, 80 agricultural water samples and 80 river water samples. Semi-nested PCR and DNA sequencing revealed 18 genogroup I and 3 genogroup II noroviruses in a total of 18 samples. These noroviruses were validated by real-time (RT)-PCR analysis. For indicator microorganisms, coliform and E. coli were respectively detected in agricultural products (68, 1%), soils (88, 7%), human feces (44, 12.8%), animal feces (67, 67%), agricultural waters (74, 30%) and river waters (96, 51%). The MSC results revealed 14 positive samples.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.798-809
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• 2023

In this study, we evaluated the impacts of land-based pollution sources on seawater and shellfish in the Jindongman area after 20.5 mm and 90.6 mm rainfall events. We analyzed sanitary indicator microorganisms used in survey management, such as total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli, and male-specific coliphage in Waste water treatment plant (WWTP), major inland pollution source,s seawater, and shellfish for 4 days after rainfall events. Our results showed that the range of coliform group and fecal coliform was 1.8-49 and <1.8-4.5 MPN (most probable number)/100 mL, respectively, after rainfall events in WWTP discharge water. Furthermore, the radius of the calculated impacted area of major inland pollution sources ranged from 5 to 798 m after 20.5 mm of rainfall and 30 to 1,031 m after 90.6 mm of rainfall. The fecal coliform of seawater at 30 stations in the shellfish growing area and areas adjacent to four stations was <1.8-130 and from <1.8-79 MPN/100 mL, respectively. The E. coli level of shellfish at 7 stations in the shellfish growing area was <18-220 MPN/100 g.