[Microbiological risk associated with seafood consumption].

Seafood has always been an important source for human nutrition. The increase of its consumption, however, and the epidemiological data, confirming the role of seafood, especially shellfish, as a carrier of foodborne toxinfections, has brought the need of a greater control of his microbiological characteristics. In this review we considered the main pathogenous microorganisms associated to such products, with a special attention towards the emerging pathogens not yet considered in the legislation (autochthonous pathogens, e.g. vibrios and enteric viruses). We examined the conditions of their presence and survival in the marine environment, the mechanisms through which they contaminate seafood and their resistance to the treatments endured by food before the commercialization and at the moment of the consumption.