Maisons-Alfort site
Head of Unit: Sylvie Perelle
Enteric viruses are mainly responsible for gastroenteritis and hepatitis. These viruses come from several viral families. Although they have different structures and genetic bases, they share some common characteristics. Indeed, they are all capable of persisting in various environments and can be transmitted via the faecal-oral route, often through the ingestion of contaminated food or water. For a long time, the risk of foodborne viral infection was largely underestimated due to the absence of reliable, rapid tools.
The Enteric Viruses unit is dedicated to studying these pathogens, which can be transmitted through food and water and can cause food poisoning outbreaks. The unit's work aims to:
The unit is the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for the detection of foodborne viruses in foodstuffs of animal origin excluding shellfish. In this framework, as a branch of the Central Laboratory for Veterinary Services (LCSV), it is involved in responding to food poisoning outbreaks suspected of being caused by viruses.