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Abstract
Human norovirus (HuNoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) are responsible for several foodborne outbreaks associated with berries. The FDA/BAM/26 method for virus detection from berries relies on RT-qPCR for the detection of viral RNA, which does not indicate infectious viruses. The objectives of this study were to detemine the method’s limit of detection (LOD), the relationship between Ct and virus infectivity and to examine the BAM steps for recovery of infectious virus from strawberries. Tulane virus (TV), a HuNoV surrogate and HAV were used. Results showed that the LODs for TV and HAV were not significantly different. At Ct value >36, there is a low probability of directly recovering infectious viruses, while Ct values>40-44 predict the presence of one TCID50 infectious viral unit on strawberries. The elution buffer’s pH significantly affected the recovery of infectious TV. Overall, this study provides better insights into the detection of infectious viruses on strawberries. INDEX WORDS: Human Norovirus, Hepatitis A Virus, Tulane Virus, Berries, FDA/BAM26, ISO 15216, infectious virus detection, RT-qPCR Ct values, limit of detection