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University of Nebraska Medical Center

The Expanding Landscape of Foodborne Viral Threats

Food Poisoning News Viruses represent a significant and evolving challenge to global food safety, responsible for an estimated 600 million foodborne illnesses annually according to the World Health Organization.  While norovirushepatitis A virus (HAV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV) dominate reported outbreaks, scientific attention is increasingly focused on other viruses with emerging foodborne transmission potential. These pathogens exploit gaps in surveillance, complex food supply chains, and environmental contamination pathways.  

Established Threats with Evolving Dynamics  

Norovirus remains the leading cause of viral foodborne illness globally, responsible for approximately 125 million cases yearly.  Its extreme environmental persistence, low infectious dose (as few as 100 particles), and high shedding concentration in feces (up to 10¹⁰ particles per gram) facilitate spread through contaminated water, fresh produce like berries and leafy greens, and ready-to-eat foods handled by infected workers.  Similarly, HAV continues to cause outbreaks linked to contaminated shellfish, frozen berries, and fresh produce, with its prolonged incubation period (10-50 days) complicating tracebacks.  HEV, particularly genotypes 3 and 4, exemplifies a zoonotic emergence: endemic in global pig populations, it transmits through undercooked pork products and has caused increasing non-travel-related infections in Europe and Asia.  Detection of infectious HEV in commercial pork livers underscores this farm-to-table risk.   

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