Prevalence of Foodborne Viruses in Berries Harvested in Canada

It is known that the transmission of different foodborne viruses can occur either via discharge of contaminated water close to the production environment or via close contact with animal feces. Cranberries are intimately associated with water throughout their production cycle, and blueberries grow close to the ground which could lead to contact with wildlife. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of human norovirus (HuNoV GI and GII), hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in two berries produced commercially in Canada. The detection of HuNoV and HAV on RTE cranberries and of HEV on wild blueberries was evaluated using the ISO method 15216-1:2017. Only 3 of 234 cranberry samples tested positive for HuNoV GI (3.6, 7.4, 5.3 genome copies/g, respectively) and all were negative for HuNoV GII and HAV. PMA pre-treatment and sequencing confirmed the absence of potential intact HuNoV GI particles on cranberries. None of the 150 blueberry samples tested positive for HEV. Overall, the prevalence of foodborne viruses in RTE cranberries and wild blueberries harvested in Canada is low, making these products relatively safe for consumers.

Automated summary

The prevalence of foodborne viruses (HuNoV GI, HuNoV GII, HAV, and HEV) in commercially-produced cranberries and wild blueberries harvested in Canada was evaluated. Results showed that out of 234 cranberry samples, only 3 were positive for HuNoV GI, and no HuNoV GII or HAV were detected. None of the 150 blueberry samples tested positive for HEV. Overall, the prevalence of foodborne viruses in these berries is low, making them relatively safe for consumption.