Abstract
Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is a sensitive method for the detection of foodborne viruses in fecal samples. However, the performance of qRT-PCR depends on the efficiency of virus concentration methods. In this study, the effect of Concanavalin A (Con A)-immobilized on polyacrylate beads (Con A-PAB) on the qRT-PCR performance, in terms of sensitivity and specificity to detect foodborne viruses in human fecal specimens was compared with commercial viral RNA extraction kit (VRNA). The detection of foodborne viruses by qRT-PCR was validated by viral genome sequencing. Both Con A-PAB and VRNA methods were equally sensitive and specific for detecting hepatitis A virus in fecal specimens. Even though both methods showed high specificity (100% vs. 100%) for detecting human norovirus (HuNoV), Con A-PAB method exhibited higher sensitivity (100% vs. 42.9%) and accuracy (100% vs. 73.3%) compared to VRNA method. In conclusion, the application of Con A-PAB would improve the performance of qRT-PCR for the detection of HuNoV in fecal samples.