Research Publications (Food Safety)

M. Hagbom et al. A typical clinical symptom of human norovirus infection is projectile vomiting. Although norovirus RNA and viral particles have been detected in vomitus, infectivity has not yet been reported. We detected replication-competent norovirus in 25% of vomit samples with a 13-fold to 714-fold increase in genomic equivalents, confirming infectious norovirus.

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the leading cause of epidemic acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Type I interferons (IFN)-α/β are highly potent cytokines that are initially identified for their essential roles in antiviral defense. It was reported that HuNoV infection did not induce IFN-β expression but was controlled in the presence of IFN-β in human intestinal enteroids and a gnotobiotic pig model, suggesting that HuNoV has likely developed evasion countermeasures.

by Kentaro Tohma, Cara J. Lepore, Magaly Martinez, Juan I. Degiuseppe, Pattara Khamrin, Mayuko Saito, Holger Mayta, Amy U. Amanda Nwaba, Lauren A. Ford-Siltz, Kim Y. Green, Maria E. Galeano, Mirko Zimic, Juan A. Stupka, Robert H. Gilman, Niwat Maneekarn, Hiroshi Ushijima, Gabriel I. Parra

by Yu Liang, Wei Bu Wang, Jing Zhang, Jun Wei Hou, Fang Tang, Xue Feng Zhang, Li Fang Du, Ji Guo Su, Qi Ming Li

Author(s): Yoah Moon, Sangha Han, Jeong won Son, Si Hong Park, Sang-Do Ha

Contamination of fomites by human norovirus (HuNoV) can initiate and prolong outbreaks. Fomite swabbing is necessary to predict HuNoV exposure and target interventions. Historically, swab recovered HuNoV has been measured by molecular methods that detect viral RNA but not infectious HuNoV. The recent development of HuNoV cultivation in human intestinal enteroids (HIEs) enables detection of infectious HuNoV.

To consistently disinfect fresh vegetables efficiently, the decay of disinfectants such as chlorine, electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW), ozonated water, and plasma-activated water during the disinfection maintenance stage needs to be understood. The aim of our study was to evaluate the changes in the inactivation kinetics of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) against human norovirus (HuNoV), based on the cabbage-to-SAEW ratio.

Background Up-to-date estimates of the burden of norovirus, a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in the United States, are needed to assess the potential value of norovirus vaccines in development. We aimed to estimate the rates, annual counts, and healthcare charges of norovirus-associated ambulatory clinic encounters, emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States.

Norovirus (NoV) is a main foodborne pathogen of acute gastroenteritis in the world. A preliminary quantitative risk assessment (QRA) was conducted to evaluate the health risk caused by this virus in shellfish in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China. The QRA framework was established from the process of shellfish at retail through cooking at home to consumer consumption.

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are the leading cause of gastrointestinal illness and environmental monitoring is crucial to prevent HuNoV outbreaks. The recent development of a HuNoV cell culture assay in human intestinal enteroids (HIEs) has enabled detection of infectious HuNoV. However, this complex approach requires adaptation of HIEs to facilitate HuNoV replication from environmental matrixes.

Roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) is considered relatively clean water, even though the possible presence of pathogens in the water may pose human health risks. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of enteric viruses in the first flush (10 mm) of RHRW from a densely populated and low-income urbanized region of Rio de Janeiro. One hundred samples (5 L) were collected from 10 rainfall events between April 2015 and March 2017.

Letters in Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. Norovirus (NoV) and human astrovirus (HAstV) are important causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in children and adults. They comprised of multiple genotypes and attention should be paid to genotype changes or emergence of new genetic variants. To study the prevalence and diversity of NoV GI, GII and HAstV circulating in eastern China, we conducted a three-year environmental surveillance in a coastal city of Yantai.

Norovirus, the leading cause of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, is constantly mutating. Continuous monitoring of the evolution of epidemic genotypes and emergence of novel genotypes is, therefore, necessary. This study determined the prevalence and clinical characteristics of norovirus strains in AGE in Guangzhou, China in 2019/2020 season.

Author(s): Maja A. Zaczek-Moczydlowska, Azadeh Beizaei, Michael Dillion, Katrina Campbell

Water and wastewater virological quality is a significant public health issue. Viral agents include emerging and re-emerging pathogens characterized by extremely small size, and high environmental stability.

The human noroviruses are major causes of nonbacterial gastroenteritis, and are transmitted by both food and water, as well as via a person-to-person route. Asymptomatic norovirus infection of food handlers may play a role in transmission. The outbreak of noroviruses infections has been recognized in PyeongChang Winter Olympics, starting with security staffs from February 3, 2018.

A novel F-specific RNA bacteriophage (FRNAPH) YM1, affiliating to genogroup I (GI) of Levivirus, is isolated for the first time from human stool samples using double-layer agar plates with the Escherichia coli ATCC700891 as the host. The complete genomic sequence of YM1 is 3551 nt in length, obtained through next-generation sequencing, and contains four genes encoding for maturation protein, coat protein, lysis protein, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp).

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Accepted Article. Noroviruses belong to a genetically diverse group of viruses infecting a wide range of mammalian host species., and those detected in cattle and sheep are classified within genogroup III (GIII).

Objectives
Norovirus genotype GII.3[P12] strains have been an important pathogen for sporadic gastroenteritis infection. In previous studies of GII.3[P12], the number of specimens and time span are relatively small, which is difficult to truly reflect the infection and evolution of this type of norovirus. Here we report a molecular epidemiological study of the NoVs prevalent in Jiangsu between 2010 and 2019 to investigate the evolution of the GII.3[P12] strains in China.

Author(s): Péter Pankovics, Ákos Boros, Zoltán László, Sándor Szekeres, Gábor Földvári, Eda Altan, Eric Delwart, Gábor Reuter

by Louisa F. Ludwig-Begall, Constance Wielick, Olivier Jolois, Lorène Dams, Ravo M. Razafimahefa, Hans Nauwynck, Pierre-Francois Demeuldre, Aurore Napp, Jan Laperre, Etienne Thiry, Eric Haubruge

Background

Author(s): Jessica M. van Loben Sels, Luke W. Meredith, Stanislav V. Sosnovtsev, Miranda de Graaf, Marion P.G. Koopmans, Lisa C. Lindesmith, Ralph S. Baric, Kim Y. Green, Ian G. Goodfellow

Human noroviruses are the dominant causative agent of acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide. During the winter of 2014–2015, genotype GII.17 cluster IIIb strains emerged as the leading cause of norovirus infection in Asia and later spread to other parts of the world. It is speculated that mutation at blockade epitopes may have resulted in virus escape from herd immunity, leading to the emergence of GII.17 cluster IIIb variants.

Author(s): Philippe Raymond, Sylvianne Paul, André Perron, Louise Deschênes, Kenji Hara

Concentration of viruses in water is necessary for detection and quantification of the viruses present, in order to evaluate microbiological barriers in water treatment plants and detect pathogenic viruses during waterborne outbreaks, but there is currently no standardised procedure.