Research Publications (Food Safety)

The aim of the study was to assess human norovirus and feline calicivirus (FCV) surface free energy, hydrophobicity, and ability to interact with fresh foods and food-contact surfaces.

Background

The human norovirus GII.2 outbreak during the 2016–2017 winter season was of unprecedented scale and geographic distribution.

Methods

Author(s): Linglin Su, Rui Wang, Tianxin Qiu, Jinli Wang, Jinwu Meng, Jinyue Zhu, Deyun Wang, Yi Wu, Jiaguo Liu

Globally, Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes over 20 million cases worldwide. HEV is an emerging and endemic pathogen within economically developed countries, chiefly resulting from infections with genotype 3 (G3) HEV. G3 HEV is known to be a zoonotic pathogen, with a broad host range. The primary source of HEV within more economically developed countries is considered to be pigs, and consumption of pork products is a significant risk factor and known transmission route for the virus to humans.

Author(s): Mi Rae Kim, Sangha Han, Sa Reum Park, Yoah Moon, Sang-Do Ha

Kinetics of hepatitis A virus (HAV) accumulation and depuration from mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) was studied in an experimental depuration system. Different parameters likely to influence the rate of virus accumulation and elimination were evaluated. Analyses were carried out by both real-time RT-qPCR and digital PCR.

by Forrest C. Walker, Ebrahim Hassan, Stefan T. Peterson, Rachel Rodgers, Lawrence A. Schriefer, Cassandra E. Thompson, Yuhao Li, Gowri Kalugotla, Carla Blum-Johnston, Dylan Lawrence, Broc T. McCune, Vincent R. Graziano, Larissa Lushniak, Sanghyun Lee, Alexa N. Roth, Stephanie M. Karst, Timothy J. Nice, Jonathan J. Miner, Craig B. Wilen, Megan T. Baldridge

Author(s): Jade Derrick, Philippa Hollinghurst, Sarah O'Brien, Nicola Elviss, David J. Allen, Miren Iturriza-Gómara

Influenza vaccines have traditionally been tested in naive mice and ferrets. However, humans are first exposed to influenza viruses within the first few years of their lives. Therefore, there is a pressing need to test influenza virus vaccines in animal models that have been previously exposed to influenza viruses before being vaccinated.

L. Barclay et al. We report a norovirus GIV outbreak in the United States, 15 years after the last reported outbreak. During May 2016 in Wisconsin, 53 persons, including 4 food handlers, reported being ill. The outbreak was linked to individually prepared fruit consumed as a fruit salad. The virus was phylogenetically classified as a novel GIV genotype.

Seeking a means of sanitizing berries, the effectiveness of steady state levels of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) against hepatitis A virus (HAV) on laboratory-contaminated berries was determined. The generated ClO2 was maintained with 1 or 2 mg/l air inside a 269-l glove box to treat 50 g batches of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and 100 g batches of strawberries that were immersion coated with HAV.

Emerging zoonotic diseases exert a significant burden on human health and have considerable socioeconomic impact worldwide. In Asia, live animals as well as animal products are commonly sold in informal markets. The interaction of humans, live domestic animals for sale, food products, and wild and scavenging animals, creates a risk for emerging infectious diseases.

Noroviruses are the predominant cause of acute gastroenteritis, with a single genotype (GII.4) responsible for the majority of infections. This prevalence is characterized by the periodic emergence of new variants that present substitutions at antigenic sites of the major structural protein (VP1), facilitating escape from herd immunity. Notably, the contribution...

At present, SARS-CoV-2 has not been shown to be transmitted through food, even so the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how consumers view food and food safety. This study assessed consumer food safety practices during the COVID-19 pandemic using (1) surveys and (2) online focus group discussions. From April to August 2020, five waves of surveys were distributed to an online U.S. consumer panel and screened to include only primary food preparers and grocery shoppers.

by Barbara Holzer, Pramila Rijal, Adam McNee, Basudev Paudyal, Veronica Martini, Becky Clark, Tanuja Manjegowda, Francisco J. Salguero, Emily Bessell, John C. Schwartz, Katy Moffat, Miriam Pedrera, Simon P. Graham, Alistair Noble, Marie Bonnet-Di Placido, Roberto M. La Ragione, William Mwangi, Peter Beverley, John W. McCauley, Rodney S. Daniels, John A. Hammond, Alain R. Townsend, Elma Tchilian

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are among the main causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Frozen raspberries have been linked to several HuNoV food-related outbreaks. However, the extraction of HuNoV RNA from frozen raspberries remains challenging. Recovery yields are low, and real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) inhibitors limit the sensitivity of the detection methodologies.

Norovirus contamination of oysters is the lead cause of non-bacterial gastroenteritis and a significant food safety concern for the oyster industry. Here, norovirus reduction from Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), contaminated in the marine environment, was studied in laboratory depuration trials and in two commercial settings.

by Fisayo Temilade Osamudiamen, Olusola Aanuoluwapo Akanbi, Daniel Oladimeji Oluwayelu, C. -Thomas Bock, Patrycja Klink

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E, an emerging public health infection which has an increasing incidence across Europe. Because of the apparent lack of species barriers, HEV was characterized as a zoonotic agent. Swine are recognized as the main reservoir, but HEV is also found in wild animals such as ungulates, lagomorphs, and bats.

Author(s): René A.M. Dirks, Claudia C.C. Jansen, Geke Hägele, Ans J.T. Zwartkruis-Nahuis, Aloys S.L. Tijsma, Ingeborg L.A. Boxman

Human norovirus is the leading cause of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in people of all ages worldwide. Currently, no licensed norovirus vaccine, pharmaceutical drug, or therapy is available for the control of norovirus infection. Here, we used a rice transgenic system, MucoRice, to produce a variable domain of a llama heavy-chain antibody fragment (VHH) specific for human norovirus (MucoRice-VHH). VHH is a small heat- and acid-stable protein that resembles a monoclonal antibody.

The detection of viruses and bacteria which can pose a threat either to shellfish health or shellfish consumers remains difficult. The current detection methods rely on point sampling of water, a method that gives a snapshot of the microorganisms present at the time of sampling. In order to obtain better representativeness of the presence of these microorganisms over time, we have developed passive sampling using the adsorption capacities of polymer membranes.

The fecal indicator organism (FIO) Escherichia coli is frequently used as a general indicator of sewage contamination and for evaluating the success of shellfish cleaning (depuration) processes. To evaluate the robustness of this approach, the accumulation, retention, and depuration of non-pathogenic E. coli, pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 and norovirus GII (NoV GII) RNA were evaluated using a combination of culture-based (E. coli) and molecular methods (E.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the standard method used for quantification of norovirus in oysters in Japan for the provisional adaptation of the method as an alternative to ISO 15216-1:2017, to conduct a Japan baseline survey of norovirus in oysters. For this purpose, the method provided by the Japan Committee for Standardization of Virus Detection in Food was subjected to an interlaboratory study to determine the performance characteristics of the standard method used in Japan.