Research Publications (Food Safety)

Waterborne diseases remain a public health concern in developing countries where many lack access to safe water. Water testing mainly uses bacterial indicators to assess water quality, which may not fully indicate the threat from other non-bacterial pathogens like enteric viruses. This study was done to ascertain and establish the viral load, the temporal and spatial distribution of rotavirus A and norovirus (GI and GII) in sewage and river water samples.

Evaluate the anti-noroviral efficacy of PURELL® Surface Sanitizer and Disinfectant Spray (PSS; an alcohol-based formulation) using human norovirus GII.4 Sydney [hNoV, by RT-qPCR and human intestinal enteroid (HIE) infectivity assay] and its cultivable surrogate, Tulane virus (TuV, infectivity assay), compared to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solutions. Methods and Results. PSS efficacy was evaluated in suspension and on surfaces [stainless steel (SS)] using ASTM methods.

Oysters are major transmission vectors of noroviruses (NoVs) in the environment. Outbreaks of NoVs are often associated with the consumption of NoV-contaminated oysters. Laboratory confirmation of suspected oyster samples is a critical step in the surveillance and control of NoVs. Because of non-specific amplification, false-positive results are frequently obtained by semi-nested RT-PCR with the presently widely used primer set (G2SKF/G2SKR).

Human norovirus causes sporadic and epidemic acute gastroenteritis worldwide, and the predominant strains are genotype GII.4 variants. Recently, a novel GII.17[P17] and a recombinant GII.2[P16] strain have been reported as the causes of gastroenteritis outbreaks. Outbreaks of norovirus are frequently associated with foodborne illness.

Human noroviruses are among the main causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Frozen raspberries have been linked to several norovirus food-related outbreaks. However, the extraction of norovirus RNA from frozen raspberries remains challenging. Recovery yields are low and PCR inhibitors limit the sensitivity of the detection methodologies.

Background A wide variety of pathogens can cause disease in humans via consumption of contaminated food.

Foodborne diseases affect an estimated 600 million people worldwide annually, with the majority of these illnesses caused by Norovirus, Vibrio, Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. To elicit infections in humans, bacterial pathogens express a combination of virulence factors and toxins.

A novel Norovirus (NoV) was identified by viral metagenomic analysis in fox fecal samples from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. The virus exhibited typical genomic characteristics of NoVs. It was closely related to the canine NoV GVII strains with 86.0–86.2% and 91.9% amino acid identities in the capsid protein VP1 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), respectively.

Bivalve mollusks have been widely recognized as an important source of foodborne virus. The aim of this work was to determine the presence of norovirus (NoV) and rotavirus (RVA) in Pacific cupped oyster (Crassostrea gigas) from Buenos Aires, Argentina. A total of 88 oyster were processed. 7% of pooled samples resulted positive for NoV GII by RT-qPCR. The nucleotide analysis showed that it was closely related to GII.4/Sydney.

This study aimed to evaluate the virucidal effect and potential use as a disinfectant of undiluted and diluted slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on human noroviruses (HuNoVs) using the in vitro suspension test and in food test. The oxidization reduction potential of SAEW gradually decreased with the increase in distilled water volume.

To observe the prevalence of contamination by hepatitis A virus (HAV) and norovirus (NoV) in different food types, 9242 samples were analyzed over a 6-year period (January 2014–December 2019). Samples were from routine official activities by Competent Authorities (CAs) and Food Business Operators, according to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plans. Analyses were performed in accordance with European and Italian regulations.

Human noroviruses impose a considerable health burden globally. Here, a flow cytometry approach designed for their detection in biological waste and food samples was developed using antibody-coated magnetic beads. Antipeptide antibodies against murine norovirus and various human norovirus genotypes were generated for capture and coated onto magnetic beads.

Fresh vegetables and shellfish are prone to microbial contamination through irrigation or breeding with sewage-polluted waters, as well as by infected food handlers. In this work, we studied the presence of human and bovine polyomaviruses and human norovirus in fresh lettuces, strawberries and oysters produced in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. In oysters, we also investigated F-specific RNA bacteriophages, indicator Escherichia coli (E.

Enteric viruses have been described as important contaminants in fresh and ready-to-eat foods such as sandwiches, deli meat and dairy products. This is a cross-sectional randomized survey to estimate the prevalence of norovirus and human adenovirus (HAdV) from 100 Brazilian artisanal raw milk cheese samples (Minas and Coalho) obtained from different agroindustries in four producing regions in the states of Minas Gerais and one in Piauí, respectively.

Foodborne viral illnesses are frequent worldwide and costly for the society. Human norovirus is one of the most common causal agents. Although some norovirus genotypes can now be cultured, surrogates are still used for inactivation studies.

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.

Norovirus is a major cause of foodborne-associated acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreaks worldwide. Usually, food products are contaminated either during harvesting or preparation, and the most common products associated to norovirus outbreaks are raw or undercooked bivalve shellfish, fruits (frozen berries) and ready-to-eat produce. In the present study, we investigated an AGE outbreak caused by norovirus associated with the consumption of ice pops in southern Brazil.

Biofilms can constitute permanent threats to food safety and public health. Bacteria and viruses lodged in biofilm can escape cleaning and sanitizing agents. The aim of this study was to compare Pseudomonas aeruginosa developing and mature biofilms produced on agri-food surfaces in terms of interaction with murine norovirus.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, EarlyView.

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a highly contagious pathogenic virus that is transmitted through contaminated food, water, high-touch surfaces and aerosols. Globally, there are an estimated 685 million infections annually due to norovirus, including 200 million affecting children under the age of 5. HuNoV causes approximately 50, 000 child deaths per year and costs an estimated USD $60 billion annually in healthcare.

Background In the United States, norovirus is the leading cause of healthcare-associated gastroenteritis outbreaks. To inform prevention efforts, we describe the epidemiology of norovirus outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Methods The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collect epidemiologic and laboratory data on norovirus outbreaks from US health departments through the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) and CaliciNet.

Author(s): Eric Jubinville, Mathilde Trudel-Ferland, Janie Amyot, Julie Jean

Human noroviruses are the leading cause of sporadic cases and outbreaks of viral acute gastroenteritis in all age groups worldwide. Background
Human noroviruses are the leading cause of sporadic cases and outbreaks of viral acute gastroenteritis in all age groups worldwide.