Hepatitis E virus in lettuce and water samples: A method-comparison study

Abstract RIDA®QUICK Gliadin is an immuno-chromatographic test for the detection of gluten in foods, on surfaces, and in Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) waters. This test kit has been adopted as Final Action AOAC INTERNATIONAL Official Methods of AnalysisSM2015.16 for gluten in corn products. The assay is based on the monoclonal antibody R5, which recognizes gluten in wheat, barley, and rye. Four different surfaces were contaminated with a gliadin material and analyzed by a direct swabbing of the surface with the dip-stick. The outcome was an LOD95% concentration of the assay between 1.6 and 3.0 μg/100 cm2 gluten. For CIP waters that contain cleansing reagents, 100% positive results were obtained for minimum gluten concentration between 50 and 100 ng/mL. If the CIP water does not contain these reagents, the minimum detectable gluten level is 10 ng/mL. The independent validation study consisted of a method comparison study of recovery from a CIP solution and from a stainless-steel surface. The test kit was evaluated at six different concentration levels for both matrices, with 20 or 30 replicates per concentration level. The probability of detection was calculated for each contamination level. Additionally, the LOD95% concentration was estimated for each matrix analyzed.

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Study of a hepatitis E virus outbreak involving drinking water and sewage contamination in Shimla, India, 2015–2016

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ◽

10.1093/trstmh/trz072 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 113 (12) ◽

pp. 789-796 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anuradha S Tripathy ◽

Meenal Sharma ◽

Avinash R Deoshatwar ◽

Prasad Babar ◽

Rakesh Bharadwaj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Water Samples ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Hepatitis A ◽

Hepatitis A Virus ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Oral Transmission ◽

Sewage Contamination ◽

Current Outbreak

Abstract Background Hepatitis E, caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV), accounts for 50% of acute hepatitis cases in India. We report an outbreak of hepatitis E in Shimla, India, in 2015–2016. Methods ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, received two batches of water samples from Shimla in January 2016 to test for the presence of enterically transmitted hepatitis viruses. Subsequently, 57 icterus patients were tested for various markers of hepatotropic viruses, i.e. anti-HEV IgM/IgG, anti-hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) IgM/IgG antibodies and HEV RNA. Water samples were screened for HEV and HAV RNA followed by phylogenetic analysis. Results Overall, 48/57 patients availing municipal water had evidence of HEV infection, detected by serology and RT-PCR. All the water samples tested positive for HEV and HAV RNA, while the patients were negative for anti-HAV IgM antibody, indicating no recent HAV infection. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the aetiological agent of the current outbreak to be HEV genotype 1. Conclusions Serology and RT-PCR confirmed HEV as the aetiology of the outbreak. The absence of new cases of hepatitis A, despite the presence of HAV in the water supply, could be due to previously acquired immunity. Sewage contamination of water leading to faecal-oral transmission of HEV still remains a concern, thus emphasising the need for a vaccination/control strategy.

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