Shellfish constitute an important protein source but may be contaminated by viruses from various origins. A study performed on clams collected in Cameroon showed a high prevalence of norovirus and hepatitis A virus. After sequencing, the hepatitis A virus showed similarities with the genotype V simian strains.

The need for a one-health approach to protect humans from emerging diseases is evident by the high number of microbial pathogens that become zoonotic following insect bites or consumption of contaminated meat. This is particularly well documented for infectious disease transmission from non-human primates to human (Devaux et al. 2019). Environmental issues are critical in such events, especially for RNA viruses that may be excreted at high concentrations by infected hosts and are very resistant outside their hosts (De Graaf et al. 2017). Transmission can occur directly by ingestion of contaminated waters or via contaminated food. For example, shellfish growing in coastal areas or rivers are known to concentrate microorganisms by their ability to filter large volume of waters and thus may favor the transmission of zoonotic strains to humans when consumed.