Abstract
A new virus elution method from digestive diverticulum of Japanese oyster, Crassostrea gigas, using enzymatic virus elution (EVE) method was developed using poliovirus 1 as a surrogate. Among three enzymes, amylase, lipase and pepsin, lipase and amylase were effective for elution of viruses from digestive diverticulum collected in winter, with total recovery efficiency of 11% and 9.6%, respectively. Lipase was also effective for virus elution from digestive diverticula collected in spring when oysters are in reproductive phase and contain more fat in their digestive diverticula. In conclusion, the EVE method using lipase is very effective in quantitative evaluation of virus accumulation by oysters and its seasonal trends.
