Viral Transmission in Sea Food Systems: Strategies for Control and Emerging Challenges

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had widespread and severe impacts on both the global economy and human health. Facing the continuously mutating virus, this crisis has heightened concerns among consumers and businesses regarding viral transmission through seafood, particularly in the face of emerging, unknown viruses, underscoring our preparedness gaps. This review provides a succinct overview of the survival mechanisms of prevalent viruses in seafood, examines potential transmission pathways to humans during seafood processing, and discusses strategies for mitigating their spread throughout the seafood supply chain. Furthermore, the discussion highlights emerging trends in innovative antiviral technologies aimed at enhancing food safety. Person-to-person transmission remains the most likely source of infection within the supply chain. Therefore, it is still imperative to adhere to the implementation of standard processes, namely good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good hygiene practices (GHP), in the seafood business. In light of the significant losses caused by this crisis and the persistent presence of various viruses within the seafood supply chain, efforts are needed to implement predictive and preventive measures against potential emerging viruses. Future research should focus on monitoring and limiting viral transmission by integrating Industry 4.0 applications, smart technologies, and antiviral packaging, maximizing the potential of these emerging solutions.

Keywords: SARS-CoV; aquatic products; food safety; seafood; supply chain; virus.

Figure 1

The general schematic representation of the structure, life cycle, and infection mechanism in human cells of SARS-CoV-2. (Note: Created with BioRender.com. Partially adapted from “Coronavirus Structure and Protein Visualization”, by BioRender.com (2021). Retrieved from https://app.biorender.com/biorender-templates [access on 17 December 2021]). (?) The role of CD147 and NRP1 as direct receptors in the SARS-CoV-2 infection pathway remains controversial and lacks definitive experimental evidence.

Figure 2

The main proposed transmission route of SARS-CoV-2. (Note: Created with BioRender.com).

Figure 3

The primary transmission mode of SARS-CoV-2 involved in the seafood supply chain (A), proposed safety measures for the seafood industry during the pandemic (B), the most common transmission mode (shown at the top of the text box, represented by the solid color in (A)) and the most critical safety measures (shown at the bottom of the text box, represented by the gradient color in (B)) for each stage of the seafood supply chain from production to consumer (C). (Note: Created with BioRender.com).