Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Viruses

There are many challenges for developing and selecting methods to detect enteric viruses from food and environmental samples. Growth methods are rarely available and the viruses have a low infectious dose, so methods must be very sensitive as well as specific. This review discusses methods for sample preparation, detection and typing, outlining strengths and weaknesses for different protocols. Enteric viruses are very stable in the environment and the development of effective detection methods is an important step towards reducing contamination of foods and the environment.