Issues Concerning Survival of Viruses on Surfaces

Viruses are the causative agents of an estimated 60% of human infections worldwide. The most common viral illnesses are produced by enteric and respiratory viruses. Transmission of these viruses from an infected person or animal to a new host can occur via several routes. Existing studies strongly suggest that contaminated fomites or surfaces play an important role in the spreading of viral diseases. The potential of viral spreading via contaminated surfaces depends particularly on the ability of the virus to maintain infectivity whilst it is in the environment. This is affected by a combination of biological, physical and chemical factors. This review summarises current knowledge about the influence of environmental factors on the survival and spread of viruses via contaminated surfaces.     

Human viral pathogens are pervasive in wastewater treatment center aerosols

Wastewater treatment center(WTC) workers may be vulnerable to diseases caused by viruses, such as the common cold, influenza and gastro-intestinal infections. Although there is a substantial body of literature characterizing the microbial community found in wastewater, only a few studies have characterized the viral component of WTC aerosols,despite the fact that most diseases affecting WTC workers are of viral origin and that some of these viruses are transmitted through the air. In this study, we evaluated in four WTCs the presence of 11 viral pathogens of particular concern in this milieu and used a metagenomic approach to characterize the total viral community in the air of one of those WTCs. The presence of viruses in aerosols in different locations of individual WTCs was evaluated and the results obtained with four commonly used air samplers were compared.We detected four of the eleven viruses tested, including human adenovirus(h Ad V),rotavirus, hepatitis A virus(HAV) and Herpes Simplex virus type 1(HSV1). The results of the metagenomic assay uncovered very few viral RNA sequences in WTC aerosols, however sequences from human DNA viruses were in much greater relative abundance.     

Oncogenic Papillomavirus and Polyomavirus in Water Environments: Is There a Potential for Waterborne Transmission?

Waterborne exposure to human viruses through contact with sewage-contaminated water environments can result in infections associated with a wide range of illnesses. Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most commonly encountered manifestations of waterborne viral illness. Respiratory diseases, neurological diseases and paralysis can also occur. Whether viral infections resulting in health outcomes like cancer might also be transmitted by the waterborne route is unknown. Recently, viruses belonging to two oncogenic groups—Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) and Human Polyomaviruses (HPyVs)—have been detected in urban sewages worldwide. The latter have also been identified in other water environments. HPVs are epitheliotropic viruses responsible for several diseases of skin and mucosae, from common warts to squamous intraepithelial lesions that can either heal or progress to invasive carcinoma of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus or oropharynx. Human PyVs infect different tissues and organs, causing infections that are usually subclinical in immunocompetent individuals but can be serious in immunocompromised hosts. These pathogens belong to a family of DNA tumour viruses. Merkel cell polyomavirus, a HPyV identified in recent years, has attracted much attention due to its link with a rare and aggressive form of human cancer. Merkel cell carcinoma, the incidence of which has tripled over the past two decades. JC polyomavirus and BK polyomavirus are also potentially oncogenic. The observed abundance and wide dissemination of HPVs and HPyVs in water environments strongly suggest the need to shed light on the fate of these viruses in water environments and to elucidate their potential for waterborne transmission. Such information is essential for the improvement of wastewater management programs in terms of both sewage treatment and water quality surveillance.     

Occurrence of Human Enteric Viruses in Water Sources and Shellfish: A Focus on Africa

Enteric viruses are a diverse group of human pathogens which are primarily transmitted by the faecal–oral route and are a major cause of non-bacterial diarrhoeal disease in both developed and developing countries. Because they are shed in high numbers by infected individuals and can persist for a long time in the environment, they pose a serious threat to human health globally. Enteric viruses end up in the environment mainly through discharge or leakage of raw or inadequately treated sewage into water sources such as springs, rivers, dams, or marine estuaries. Human exposure then follows when contaminated water is used for drinking, cooking, or recreation and, importantly, when filter-feeding bivalve shellfish are consumed. The human health hazard posed by enteric viruses is particularly serious in Africa where rapid urbanisation in a relatively short period of time has led to the expansion of informal settlements with poor sanitation and failing or non-existent wastewater treatment infrastructure, and where rural communities with limited or no access to municipal water are dependent on nearby open water sources for their subsistence. The role of sewage-contaminated water and bivalve shellfish as vehicles for transmission of enteric viruses is well documented but, to our knowledge, has not been comprehensively reviewed in the African context. Here we provide an overview of enteric viruses and then review the growing body of research where these viruses have been detected in association with sewage-contaminated water or food in several African countries. These studies highlight the need for more research into the prevalence, molecular epidemiology and circulation of these viruses in Africa, as well as for development and application of innovative wastewater treatment approaches to reduce environmental pollution and its impact on human health on the continent.

     

A Review of Known and Hypothetical Transmission Routes for Noroviruses

Human noroviruses (NoVs) are considered a worldwide leading cause of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis. Due to a combination of prolonged shedding of high virus levels in feces, virus particle shedding during asymptomatic infections, and a high environmental persistence, NoVs are easily transmitted pathogens. Norovirus (NoV) outbreaks have often been reported and tend to affect a lot of people. NoV is spread via feces and vomit, but this NoV spread can occur through several transmission routes. While person-to-person transmission is without a doubt the dominant transmission route, human infective NoV outbreaks are often initiated by contaminated food or water. Zoonotic transmission of NoV has been investigated, but has thus far not been demonstrated. The presented review aims to give an overview of these NoV transmission routes. Regarding NoV person-to-person transmission, the NoV GII.4 genotype is discussed in the current review as it has been very successful for several decades but reasons for its success have only recently been suggested. Both pre-harvest and post-harvest contamination of food products can lead to NoV food borne illness. Pre-harvest contamination of food products mainly occurs via contact with polluted irrigation water in case of fresh produce or with contaminated harvesting water in case of bivalve molluscan shellfish. On the other hand, an infected food handler is considered as a major cause of post-harvest contamination of food products. Both transmission routes are reviewed by a summary of described NoV food borne outbreaks between 2000 and 2010. A third NoV transmission route occurs via water and the spread of NoV via river water, ground water, and surface water is reviewed. Finally, although zoonotic transmission remains hypothetical, a summary on the bovine and porcine NoV presence observed in animals is given and the presence of human infective NoV in animals is discussed.     

Minimum Infective Dose of the Major Human Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Transmitted Through Food and the Environment

Viruses are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Determining the minimum dose of virus particles that can initiate infection, termed the minimum infective dose (MID), is important for the development of risk assessment models in the fields of food and water treatment and the implementation of appropriate infection control strategies in healthcare settings. Both respiratory and enteric viruses can be shed at high titers from infected individuals even when the infection is asymptomatic. Presence of pre-existing antibodies has been shown to affect the infectious dose and to be protective against reinfection for many, but not all viruses. Most respiratory viruses appear to be as infective in humans as in tissue culture. Doses of <1 TCID₅₀ of influenza virus, rhinovirus, and adenovirus were reported to infect 50% of the tested population. Similarly, low doses of the enteric viruses, norovirus, rotavirus, echovirus, poliovirus, and hepatitis A virus, caused infection in at least some of the volunteers tested. A number of factors may influence viruses’ infectivity in experimentally infected human volunteers. These include host and pathogen factors as well as the experimental methodology. As a result, the reported infective doses of human viruses have to be interpreted with caution.     

Identification of Enteric Viruses in Foods from Mexico City

Foodborne viruses are a common and, probably, the most under-recognized cause of outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Among the main foods involved in the transmission of human enteric viruses are mollusks, and fruits and vegetables irrigated with wastewater and/or washed with non-potable water or contaminated by contact with surfaces or hands of the infected personnel during its preparation. In this study, 134 food samples were analyzed for the detection of Norovirus, Rotavirus, and Hepatitis A virus (HAV) by amplification of conserved regions of these viruses. From the 134 analyzed samples, 14 were positive for HAV, 6 for Norovirus, and 11 for Rotavirus. This is the first report in Mexico where emphasis is given to the presence of HAV and Norovirus on perishable foods and food from fisheries, as well as Rotavirus on frozen vegetables, confirming the role of vegetables and bivalve mollusks as transmitting vehicles of enteric viruses.     

Development and Evaluation of a Multiplexed Real-Time TaqMan RT-PCR Assay with a Sample Process Control for Detection of F-specific RNA Coliphage Genogroups I and IV

There are increasing concerns of zoonotic transmission of some animal enteric viruses, such as calicivirus, hepatitis E virus, and rotavirus, which are closely related to human pathogenic strains. Most enteric viruses are detected by molecular techniques because they cannot be cultured. Surrogates such as F-RNA coliphages are cultivable but few molecular methods exist. Individual real-time TaqMan RT-PCR assays for the replicase gene of F-RNA coliphage genogroups I and IV were developed and multiplexed with a real-time TaqMan RT-PCR assay for feline calicivirus as a sample process control for the simultaneous detection and enumeration of genogroup I and IV F-RNA coliphages. Genogroup IV were successfully detected with the multiplexed assay in 80% of fecal samples that contained F-RNA coliphage levels ≥3.2 log plaque forming units (pfu). F-RNA coliphage were at or below the limit of detection in most fecal samples when levels were ≤4 log pfu/g.     

畜禽粪便中氮磷及抗生素的高效检测方法研究进展

本文对目前粪便中氮磷和抗生素的常规检测方法和前沿检测技术进行了介绍，讨论了这些方法的技术瓶颈和未来研究方向，并得出以下结论：1）粪便样品的常规检测方法具有准确度高、灵敏度好的特点，但需要在专业实验室进行或需要使用大型仪器，难以满足原位快速检测或在线监测的需要，因此粪便中氮磷、抗生素检测新技术的研究十分必要；2）粪便中的氮磷、抗生素等成分可通过前处理方法提取，再结合简单、便捷的电化学法、荧光法等对其进行检测，以实现快速、原位分析或在线监测；3）粪便中污染物的高效检测技术在未来的发展空间和需求较大，将电化学法、荧光法等应用于粪便中氮磷、抗生素的检测需要持续深入的基础研究和技术创新.     

Survival of Respiratory Viruses on Fresh Produce

In addition to enteric viruses of fecal origin, emerging zoonotic viruses such as respiratory coronaviruses and influenza viruses may potentially be transmitted via contaminated foods. The goal of this study was to determine the recovery efficiencies and the survival of two respiratory viruses, namely, adenovirus 2 (Ad2) and coronavirus 229E (CoV229E), on fresh produce in comparison to the enteric poliovirus 1 (PV1). Adenovirus was recovered with efficiencies of 56.5, 31.8, and 34.8 % from lettuce, strawberries, and raspberries, respectively. Coronavirus was recovered from lettuce with an efficiency of 19.6 % yet could not be recovered from strawberries. Poliovirus was recovered with efficiencies of 76.7 % from lettuce, but only 0.06 % from strawberries. For comparison purposes, the survival of Ad2, CoV229E, and PV1 was determined for periods up to 10 days on produce. The enteric PV1 survived better than both respiratory viruses on lettuce and strawberries, with only ≤1.03 log₁₀ reductions after 10 days of storage at 4 °C compared to CoV229E not being recovered after 4 days on lettuce and reductions of 1.97 log₁₀ and 2.38 log₁₀ of Ad2 on lettuce and strawberries, respectively, after 10 days. Nevertheless, these respiratory viruses were able to survive for at least several days on produce. There is therefore the potential for transfer to the hands and subsequently to the mucosa via rubbing the eyes or nose. In addition, some respiratory coronaviruses (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and adenoviruses are also capable of replication in the gut and there is thus some potential for acquisition through the consumption of contaminated produce.     

Capsid and Infectivity in Virus Detection

The spectacular achievements and elegance of viral RNA analyses have somewhat obscured the importance of the capsid in transmission of viruses via food and water. The capsid’s essential roles are protection of the RNA when the virion is outside the host cell and initiation of infection when the virion contacts a receptor on an appropriate host cell. Capsids of environmentally transmitted viruses are phenomenally durable. Fortuitous properties of the capsid include antigenicity, isoelectric point(s), sometimes hemagglutination, and perhaps others. These can potentially be used to characterize capsid changes that cause or accompany loss of viral infectivity and may be valuable in distinguishing native from inactivated virus when molecular detection methods are used.     

海洋底栖病毒生态作用的研究进展

病毒是地球上丰度最高的生命形式,广泛分布于包括深部生物圈在内的各种环境中。病毒通过侵染微生物宿主影响其生理特征、生态过程和生物地球化学循环。研究发现,病毒裂解是导致深海底栖原核生物死亡的主要原因,这一认识引起了研究者对底栖病毒的广泛关注。为了更为全面地认识底栖病毒的生态作用,本文分析了底栖病毒的生态特性（分布、丰度、多样性和生活方式）,动力学过程与影响因素,与宿主的相互作用以及在碳循环上的生态贡献。同时,对底栖病毒未来在生物学、生态学和生物地球化学领域的研究方向提出了展望,论文旨在提升对底栖病毒生态作用的理解,为底栖病毒生态学和相关学科的发展提供借鉴。     

Pre-harvest Viral Contamination of Crops Originating from Fecal Matter

Pre-harvest contamination of fresh produce and fruits is a possible route for viral transmission which should not be ignored. The contamination originates from viruses shed in human or animal fecal materials which eventually reach crops through many steps and hurdles, including spread of viruses into the agricultural environment through leakage of septic tanks/pipes or runoff from animal lagoons, virus survival during biosolids and manure treatment, virus survival and transport in soil and subsequent contamination of irrigation water, and virus transmission to crops through irrigation water, etc. Initially, large quantities of virus particles may be released from infected humans or animals, and then in the environment viruses are gradually inactivated under various natural conditions (e.g., temperature, water activity, microbial activities, etc.) and only a tiny portion of viruses may reach crops and cause the contamination. However, the fact that the infectious dose of some foodborne viruses is as low as 10–100 particles makes the pre-harvest contamination still a threat to human health. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations and guidances on proper treatment and usage of manure and biosolids for agricultural purpose may largely reduce the release of viruses to the environment; however, pre-harvest viral contamination due to fecal matter is not completely avoidable. This review focuses on the current knowledge of pre-harvest viral contamination and describes the complex transmission process regarding the presence and survival of virus in soil and fecal material, the effect of different biosolids/manure treatment on virus inactivation, the transmission of virus from soil to water, the contamination of crops by irrigation water and survival of virus on crops.     

Analytical Methods for Food and Environmental Viruses

There are many challenges for developing and selecting methods to detect enteric viruses from food and environmental samples. Growth methods are rarely available and the viruses have a low infectious dose, so methods must be very sensitive as well as specific. This review discusses methods for sample preparation, detection and typing, outlining strengths and weaknesses for different protocols. Enteric viruses are very stable in the environment and the development of effective detection methods is an important step towards reducing contamination of foods and the environment.     

High Pressure Processing and its Application to the Challenge of Virus-Contaminated Foods

High pressure processing (HPP) is an increasingly popular non-thermal food processing technology. Study of HPP’s potential to inactivate foodborne viruses has defined general pressure levels required to inactivate hepatitis A virus, norovirus surrogates, and human norovirus itself within foods such as shellfish and produce. The sensitivity of a number of different picornaviruses to HPP is variable. Experiments suggest that HPP inactivates viruses via denaturation of capsid proteins which render the virus incapable of binding to its receptor on the surface of its host cell. Beyond the primary consideration of treatment pressure level, the effects of extending treatment times, temperature of initial pressure application, and matrix composition have been identified as critical parameters for designing HPP inactivation strategies. Research described here can serve as a preliminary guide to whether a current commercial process could be effective against HuNoV or HAV.     

Viral Removal by Wastewater Treatment: Monitoring of Indicators and Pathogens

The discharge of treated civil wastewater into natural waters or their reuse in industry and agriculture involves virological risks for the exposed population. Although European and Italian regulations do not require routine viral analysis of treated wastewater, a better understanding of viral contamination and resistance to treatments is needed to assess and control such risks. To this end, a wastewater treatment plant was monitored by analysing the sewage at the plant entry and exit points in order to quantify the initial presence and eventual reduction of adenovirus, Torque Teno virus, Hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, enterovirus, norovirus genogroups I and II, somatic coliphages, Escherichia coli and enterococci. The results reveal that treated water may still contain infectious human viruses and thereby represent a potential health hazard. No significant correlations were found between bacterial indicators and the viruses considered, confirming their inadequacy for virological risk assessment, while the best indicators for virus inactivation in recycled waters seem to be adenovirus, followed by somatic coliphages.     

Cost-effectiveness of greenhouse gases mitigation measures in the European agro-forestry sector: a literature survey

Over the last 20 years, climate change has become an increasing concern for scientists, public opinions and policy makers. Due to the pervasive nature of its impacts for many important aspects of human life, climate change is likely to influence and be influenced by the most diverse policy or management choices. This is particularly true for those interventions affecting agriculture and forestry: they are strongly dependent on climate phenomena, but also contribute to climate evolution being sources of and sinks for greenhouse gases (GHG). This paper offers a survey of the existing literature assessing cost-effectiveness and efficiency of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies or the effects of broader economic reforms in the agricultural and forestry sectors. The focus is mainly on European countries. Different methodological approaches, research questions addressed and results are examined. The main findings are that agriculture can potentially provide emissions reduction at a competitive cost, mainly with methane abatement, while carbon sequestration seems more cost-effective with appropriate forest management measures. Afforestation, cropland management and bioenergy are less economically viable measures due to competition with other land use. Mitigation policies should be carefully designed either to balance costs with expected benefits in terms of social welfare. Regional variability is one of the main drawbacks to fully assess the cost-effectiveness of different measures. Integration of models to take into account both social welfare and spatial heterogeneity seems to be the frontier of the next model generation.     

病毒对地下水的入侵风险与防控对策浅析

病毒可能会成为人类未来的“头号公敌”,全球地下水病毒污染事件频繁发生,因此,病毒对地下水的影响和防控逐渐受到国际重视.为进一步了解地下水病毒入侵,通过文献检索调研,分析了病毒进入含水层的途径、在地下水中迁移的限制性因素、在多孔介质中的转化过程,总结了地下水病毒入侵防控相关方法、技术、政策,探讨了风险防范意识有待加强、地下水病毒科学研究存在短板、应急防控与预警能力不足等问题及挑战.参考国内外相关研究成果和实践经验,初步提出地下水病毒入侵风险防控对策建议:①源头排查风险,防患于未然.在地下水饮用水水源地保护区及补给区,排查防疫类污染源渗漏情况,经过化学或高温消毒后再使用农村地下水饮用水、生活用水.②加强地下水饮用水水源地病毒调查研究.研究病毒在土壤及地下水中的存活能力、迁移转化机制、环境行为特征、模拟预测技术、健康风险评价方法,制定相关规范、指南.③筹划应急防控对策.做好地下水应急监测预警、饮用水消毒处理、环境质量信息公开等相关准备工作,制定地下水饮用水水源地病毒应急防控预案.      

Antiviral Effects of Lactococcus lactis on Feline Calicivirus,A Human Norovirus Surrogate

Foodborne viruses, particularly human norovirus (NV) and hepatitis virus type A, are a cause of concern for public health making it necessary to explore novel and effective techniques for prevention of foodborne viral contamination, especially in minimally processed and ready-to-eat foods. This study aimed to determine the antiviral activity of a probiotic lactic acid bacterium (LAB) against feline calicivirus (FCV), a surrogate of human NV. Bacterial growth medium filtrate (BGMF) of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis LM0230 and its bacterial cell suspension (BCS) were evaluated separately for their antiviral activity against FCV grown in Crandell–Reese feline kidney (CRFK) cells. No significant antiviral effect was seen when CRFK cells were pre-treated with either BGMF (raw or pH 7-adjusted BGMF) or BCS. However, pre-treatment of FCV with BGMF and BCS resulted in a reduction in virus titers of 1.3 log₁₀ tissue culture infectious dose (TCID)₅₀ and 1.8 log₁₀ TCID₅₀, respectively. The highest reductions in FCV infectivity were obtained when CRFK cells were co-treated with FCV and pH 7-adjusted BGMF or with FCV and BCS (7.5 log₁₀ TCID₅₀ and 6.0 log₁₀ TCID₅₀, respectively). These preliminary results are encouraging and indicate the need for continued studies on the role of probiotics and LAB on inactivation of viruses in various types of foods.