Evaluation of Mastadenovirus and Rotavirus Presence in Phyllostomid, Vespertilionid, and Molossid Bats Captured in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil
AbstractBat-borne viruses may affect public health and the global economy. These mammals have a wide geographical distribution and unique biological, physiological, and immunogenic characteristics, allowing the dissemination of many known and unknown viruses. Enteric viruses, such as adeno (AdV) and rotaviruses, are recognized as the main causative agents of disease and outbreaks. In the present study, the presence of viruses fromAdenoviridae andReoviridae families was evaluated in molossid, phyllostomid, and vespertilionid bats captured in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, between September 2021 and July 2022. Sixty bat...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - March 26, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Recovery and Quantification of Norovirus in Air Samples from Experimentally Produced Aerosols
AbstractNorovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in humans across all age groups worldwide. Norovirus-infected patients can produce aerosolized droplets which play a role in gastroenteritis transmission. The study aimed to assess bioaerosol sampling in combination with a virus concentrating procedure to facilitate molecular detection of norovirus genogroup (G) II from experimentally contaminated aerosols.  Using a nebulizer within an experimental chamber, aerosols of norovirus GII were generated at known concentrations. Air samples were then collected in both 5 mL and 20 mL water using the SKC BioSampler ...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - March 21, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Evaluation of Food Homogenates on Cell Survival In Vitro
In this study, the most robust cell line over a time period was the A549 cell line in comparison to HepG2, with PLC/PRF/5 cells being the most sensitive. Overall, this data would suggest that FH can be left in contact with A549 cells for a period of up to 72  h to maximise the potential for testing infection. Using food homogenates directly would negate any concerns over losing virus as a result of any additional processing steps. (Source: Food and Environmental Virology)
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - March 18, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Norovirus GII.17 Caused Five Outbreaks Linked to Frozen Domestic Bilberries in Finland, 2019
AbstractIn March 2019, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and Finnish Food Authority started an outbreak investigation after a notification of food business operators ’ recall of frozen bilberries due to a norovirus finding. A retrospective search was conducted in the food and waterborne outbreak notification system to identify the notifications linked to norovirus and consumption of bilberries in January–March 2019. Five outbreaks were found in which norovir us GII or GII.17 had been detected in patient samples. A pooled retrospective cohort study was performed for those four in which a questionnaire study h...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - March 11, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

PMAxx-RT-qPCR to Determine Human Norovirus Inactivation Following High-Pressure Processing of Oysters
In this study, RT-qPCR was used in conjunction with a derivative of the photoreactive DNA binding dye propidium monoazide (PMAxx ™) (PMAxx-RT-qPCR) to evaluate the viral capsid integrity of norovirus genogroup I and II (GI and GII) in shellfish following high pressure processing (HPP). Norovirus GI.3 and GII.4 bioaccumulated oysters were subjected to HPP at pressures of 300 and 450 MPa at 15 °C, and 300, 450 and 600 MP a at 20 °C. Samples were analysed using both RT-qPCR and PMAxx-RT-qPCR. For each sample, norovirus concentration (genome copies/g digestive tissue) determined by RT-qPCR was divided by the PMAxx-RT-...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - March 8, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Evaluation of Extraction Methods to Detect Noroviruses in Ready-to-Eat Raw Milk Minas Artisanal Cheese
This study aimed to assess two homogenization methods to recover norovirus from Minas artisanal cheese (MAC) made with raw bovine milk obtained from four microregions of the Minas Gerais state, Brazil, with different ripening times and geographical and abiotic characteristics. For this purpose, 33 fiscal samples were artificially contaminated with norovirus GI and GII, and Mengovirus (MgV), used as an internal process control (IPC). TRIzol® reagent and Proteinase K homogenization methods were evaluated for all samples were then subjected to RNA extraction using viral magnetic beads and RT-qPCR Taqman® for viral detection...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - March 5, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Hydroponic Nutrient Solution  Temperature Impacts Tulane Virus Persistence over Time
This study aids in the (i) identification of possible food safety risks associated with hydroponic systems specifically related to nutrient solution temperature and (ii) generation of data to perform risk asses sments within CEA leaf lettuce operations to inform risk management strategies for the reduction of foodborne outbreaks, fresh produce recalls, and economic losses. (Source: Food and Environmental Virology)
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - February 27, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

CrAss-Like Phages: From Discovery in Human Fecal Metagenome to Application as a Microbial Source Tracking Marker
AbstractCrAss-like phages are a diverse group of bacteriophages genetically similar to the prototypical crAssphage (p-crAssphage), which was discovered in the human gut microbiome through a metagenomics approach. It was identified as a ubiquitous and highly abundant bacteriophage group in the gut microbiome. Initial co-occurrence analysis postulatedBacteroides spp. as the prospective bacterial host. Subsequent studies have confirmed multiple host species under Phylum Bacteroidetes and some Firmicutes. Detection of crAss-like phages in sewage-contaminated environmental water and robust correlation with enteric viruses and b...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - February 27, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Transmission of Viruses from Restroom Use: A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment
In this study, we apply quantitative microbial risk assessment to quantify the risk of viral transmission by contaminated restroom fomites. We estimate risk from high-touch fomite surfaces (entrance/exit door, toilet seat) for three viruses of interest (SARS-CoV-2, adenovirus, norovirus) through eight exposure scenarios involving differing user behaviors, and the use of hand sanitizer following each scenario. We assessed the impacts of several sequences of fomite contacts in the restroom, reflecting the variability of human behavior, on infection risks for these viruses. Touching of the toilet seat was assumed to model adj...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - February 19, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Study of Shellfish Growing Area During Normal Harvesting Periods and Following Wastewater Overflows in an Urban Estuary With Complex Hydrography
In this study, norovirus genogroup I and II, indicators of viral contamination (F-RNA bacteriophage genogroup II (F-RNA GII), crAssphage, pepper mild mottle virus) andEscherichia coli were monitored during periods of normal harvesting and following overflows in two commercial shellfish growing areas in Otago Harbour (Aotearoa New Zealand). Dye tracing, drogue tracking and analysis of particle tracking modelling were also undertaken to assess the dispersion, dilution and time of travel of wastewater discharged from a pump station discharge that impacts the growing areas. Norovirus was not detected in any of the 218 shellfis...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - February 8, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Effect of Human Adenovirus Type 35 Concentration on Its Inactivation and Sorption on Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles
AbstractRemoval of pathogenic viruses from water resources is critically important for sanitation and public health. Nanotechnology is a promising technology for virus inactivation. In this paper, the effects of titanium dioxide (TiO2) anatase nanoparticles (NPs) on human  adenovirus type 35 (HAdV-35) removal under static and dynamic (with agitation) batch conditions were comprehensively studied. Batch experiments were performed at room temperature (25 °C) with and without ambient light using three different initial virus concentrations. The virus inactivation ex perimental data were satisfactorily fitted with a pseudo...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - February 2, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Screening Commercial Tea for Rapid Inactivation of Infectious SARS-CoV-2 in Saliva
The objective of this study was to identify commercially available teas that can rapidly inactivate infectious SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. Initially, tea (n = 24) was prepared as 40 mg/mL infusions and incubated with SARS-CoV-2 resuspended in water, for 5 min at 37 °C. Then, five teas that showed >3 log reduction in virus infectivity were further investigated at 40 and 10 mg/mL infusions for 60 and 10 s contact time with SARS-CoV-2 resuspended in saliva. Tea polyphenols were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. SARS-CoV-2 infectivity was quantified on Vero-E6 cell line using TCID50 assay. At 10 mg/mL infusion, bla...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - January 31, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Environmental Surveillance of Human Astroviruses in Jinan City of China, 2020 –2021
AbstractHuman astroviruses (HAstVs) are a significant etiological agent of acute gastroenteritis in children. In order to investigate the circulation of HAstVs during the COVID-19 pandemic, a 2-year environmental surveillance was conducted in Jinan between 2020 and 2021. A total of 24 sewage samples were collected and concentrated. Real-time PCR indicated a positive rate of 83.3%, 79.2% (19/24), and 62.5% for classic, MLB, and VA types of HAstV in sewage samples, respectively, with genomic copies ranging from 6.4  × 103 to 3.7  × 107, 3.2  × 104 to 2.2  × 106, and 1.2  × 104 to 1.6  × 107 lâˆ...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - January 11, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Foodborne Viruses and Somatic Coliphages Occurrence in Fresh Produce at Retail from Northern Mexico
This study aimed to establish the occurrence and correlation of foodborne viruses and somatic coliphages in leafy greens in northern Mexico. A total of 320 vegetable samples were collected, resulting in 80 composite rinses, 40 of lettuce and 40 of parsley. Somatic coliphages were determined using the EPA 1602 method, while foodborne viruses (HAV, RoV, NoV GI, and GII) were determined by qPCR. The occurrence of RoV was 22.5% (9/40, mean 2.11 log gc/g) in lettuce and 20% (8/40, mean 1.91 log gc/g) in parsley. NoV and HAV were not detected in any samples. Somatic coliphages were present in all lettuce and parsley samples, wit...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - January 10, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research

Retention of Virus Versus Surrogate, by Ultrafiltration in Seawater: Case Study of Norovirus Versus Tulane
The objectives of this work were to study (i)  the ultrafiltration of Tulane virus and norovirus to validate that Tulane virus can be used as a surrogate for norovirus in water treatment process and (ii) the retention of norovirus and the surrogate as a function of water quality to better understand the use of the latter pathogenic viruses. Ul trafiltration tests showed significant logarithmic reduction values (LRV) in viral RNA: around 2.5 for global LRV (i.e., based on the initial and permeate average concentrations) and between 2 and 6 for average LRV (i.e., retention rate considering the increase of viral concentrat...
Source: Food and Environmental Virology - January 6, 2024 Category: Virology Source Type: research