Scientists are raising the alarm about Hepatitis A virus in Philippine shellfish, warning that it is largely unmonitored and urging better safety measures to prevent viral contamination.
“Although the wider Philippine public is aware of the dangers from other food safety concerns such as “red tide,” there is little public awareness of the dangers from HAV and other viruses,” the research team stated in their press release. The team also noted the absence of studies on how traditional cooking methods impact the survivability of HAV. They called for comprehensive research into the “farm-to-fork” supply chain to better understand how the virus could spread through local communities.