The Effect of Heat and Free Chlorine Treatments on the Surface Properties of Murine Norovirus

Heat and free chlorine are among the most efficient and commonly used treatments to inactivate enteric viruses, but their global inactivation mechanisms have not been elucidated yet. These treatments have been shown to affect at least the capsid proteins of viruses and thus may affect the surface properties (i.e. electrostatic charge and hydrophobicity) of such particles. Our aim was to study the effects of heat and free chlorine on surface properties for a murine norovirus chosen as surrogate for human norovirus. No changes in the surface properties were observed with our methods for murine norovirus exposed to free chlorine. Only the heat treatment led to major changes in the surface properties of the virus with the expression of hydrophobic domains at the surface of the particles after exposure to a temperature of 55 °C. No modification of the expression of hydrophobic domains occurred after exposure to 60 °C, and the low hydrophobic state exhibited by infectious and inactivated particles after exposure to 60 °C appeared to be irreversible for inactivated particles only, which may provide a means to discriminate infectious from inactivated murine noroviruses. When exposed to a temperature of 72 °C or to free chlorine at a concentration of 50 mg/L, the genome became available for RNases.     

Impact of Milk Components on Recovery of Viral RNA from MS2 Bacteriophage

Noroviruses are responsible for approximately 44 % of outbreaks involving dairy products for which causative agents are reported. Recovery of viruses from milk and dairy products is a difficult task. The role of different components of milk in the recovery of viral RNA was evaluated in this study. Four model milk formulations (A–D) were prepared by mixing different combinations of lactose, whey protein, casein, and fat in water. Each model formulation was spiked with five concentrations of bacteriophage MS2. The phenol-guanidine thiocyanate-chloroform protocol was used for extracting viral RNA from the model milk formulations and then extracted RNA was measured by a nanodrop spectrophotometer in ng/μl. The results showed that casein and whey protein had the highest negative impact on RNA yield, especially when the number of MS2 was less than 1.3 pfu/ml. The highest RNA recovery was obtained from the model milk formulation containing all four components; lactose, whey protein, casein, and fat. The amount of extracted RNA was closely correlated with the dry matter content of each formulation and the spiked concentration of coliphage using response surface modeling (R²:0.93). It was determined that milk fat is the most effective component in facilitating RNA extraction and the highest RNA yield can be achieved via elimination of whey protein and casein from milk by centrifugation at 40,000×g for 60 min. To achieve the highest viral RNA recovery efficiency by the proposed method, milk fat must be recombined with the supernatant of the centrifuged sample and then homogenized before performing the extraction protocol.     

Comparative Virucidal Efficacy of Seven Disinfectants Against Murine Norovirus and Feline Calicivirus,Surrogates of Human Norovirus

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are the leading cause of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in humans and can be transmitted either by person-to-person contact or by consumption of contaminated food. A knowledge of an efficient disinfection for both hands and food-contact surfaces is helpful for the food sector and provides precious information for public health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of seven disinfectants belonging to different groups of biocides (alcohol, halogen, oxidizing agents, quaternary ammonium compounds, aldehyde and biguanide) on infectious viral titre and on genomic copy number. Due to the absence of a cell culture system for HuNoV, two HuNoV surrogates, such as murine norovirus and feline calicivirus, were used and the tests were performed in suspension, on gloves and on stainless steel discs. When, as criteria of efficacy, a log reduction >3 of the infectious viral titre on both surrogates and in the three tests is used, the most efficacious disinfectants in this study appear to be biocidal products B, C and D, representing the halogens, the oxidizing agents group and a mix of QAC, alcohol and aldehyde, respectively. In addition, these three disinfectants also elicited a significant effect on genomic copy number for both surrogate viruses and in all three tests. The results of this study demonstrate that a halogen compound, oxidizing agents and a mix of QAC, alcohol and aldehyde are advisable for HuNoV disinfection of either potentially contaminated surfaces or materials in contact with foodstuffs.     

Effect of Sodium Chloride,Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate on the Infectivity of Hepatitis E Virus

Food and Environmental Virology - Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can cause acute and chronic hepatitis in humans. The zoonotic HEV genotype 3, which is highly prevalent in Europe, is mainly...     

Virucidal Efficacy of a Hydrogen Peroxide Nebulization Against Murine Norovirus and Feline Calicivirus,Two Surrogates of Human Norovirus

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are amongst the leading causes of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in humans and can be transmitted via person-to-person contact, via contact with contaminated surfaces or by consumption of contaminated food. Contaminated surfaces in healthcare settings contribute to the transmission of viruses. No-touch automated room disinfection systems might prevent such a spread of contamination and thus their virucidal effect needs to be evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a nebulization system spraying hydrogen peroxide on two main surrogates of HuNoV, namely murine norovirus (MNV) and feline calicivirus (FCV). The viruses were dried on cover glasses and on stainless steel discs and exposed to nebulization. The number of infectious viral particles and genomic copies before and after the nebulization was compared. The efficacy in reducing infectivity of both surrogates was demonstrated. For the infectious viral titre of MNV and FCV, a log₁₀ reduction factor ≥4.84 and 4.85 was observed after nebulization, respectively, for tests on cover glasses and ≥3.90 and 5.30, respectively, for tests on stainless steel discs. Only low reductions in genomic copy numbers were observed for both surrogates. The nebulization of hydrogen peroxide showed a clear virucidal effect on both HuNoV surrogates, MNV and FCV, on two different carriers and the use of nebulization should be promoted in complementarity with conventional disinfection methods in healthcare settings and food processing facilities to reduce viral load and spread of contamination.     

The Effect of Heat on the Physicochemical Properties of Bacteriophage MS2

The differences in physicochemical characteristics between infectious and non-infectious viral particles are poorly known. Even for heat, which is known as one of the most efficient treatments to inactivate enteric viruses, the global inactivation mechanisms have not been described yet. Such knowledge would help distinguish between both types of particles and therefore clarify the interpretation of the presence of viral genomes in food after heat treatment. In this study, we examined in particular the differences in electrostatic charge and hydrophobicity between the two particle types. MS2 phage, a common surrogate for enteric viruses, was used as a model virus. The heat-induced inactivation process of the infectious phages caused hydrophobic domains to be transiently exposed and their charge to become less negative. The particles also became progressively permeable to small molecules such as SYPRO Orange dye. The presence of non-infectious phage particles in which the genome was not accessible to RNases has been clearly demonstrated. These observations were done for MS2 phages exposed to a temperature of 60 °C. When exposed to a temperature higher than their critical temperature (72 °C), the particles were disrupted and the genome became available for RNases. At lower temperatures, 60 °C in this study, the transient expression of hydrophobic domains of remaining infectious phages appeared as an interesting parameter for improving their specific detection.     

Assessing the Removal Efficiency of Murine Norovirus 1, Hepatitis A Virus,and Human Coronavirus 229E on Dish Surfaces Through General Wash Program of Household Dishwasher

Food and Environmental Virology - The performance of dishwashers in removing live viruses is an important informative value in practical applications. Since foodborne viruses are present in...     

Evaluating Efficacy of Field-Generated Electrochemical Oxidants on Disinfection of Fomites Using Bacteriophage MS2 and Mouse Norovirus MNV-1 as Pathogenic Virus Surrogates

Surface disinfection, as part of environmental hygiene practices, is an efficient barrier to gastroenteritis transmission. However, surface disinfectants may be difficult to obtain in remote, resource-limited, or disaster relief settings. Electrochemical oxidants (ECO) are chlorine-based disinfectants that can be generated using battery power to electrolyze brine (NaCl) solutions. Electrolysis generates a mixed-oxidant solution that contains both chlorine (HOCl, OCl^?) and reactive oxygen species (e.g., ·OH, O₃, H₂O₂, and ·O_2?) capable of inactivating pathogens. One onsite generator of ECO is the Smart Electrochlorinator 200 (SE-200, Cascade Designs, Inc.). In a laboratory study, we assessed ECO surface disinfection efficacy for two gastrointestinal virus surrogates: bacteriophage MS2 and murine norovirus MNV-1. We quantified both infectivity and nucleic acid inactivation using culture-dependent and independent assays. At free available chlorine concentrations of 2,500 ppm and a contact time of 30 s, ECO inactivation of infective MS2 bacteriophage exceeded 7 log₁₀ compared to MNV-1 disinfection of approximately 2 log₁₀. Genomic RNA inactivation was less than infective virus inactivation: MS2 RNA inactivation was approximately 5 log₁₀ compared to MNV-1 RNA inactivation of approximately 1.5 log₁₀. The results are similar to inactivation efficacy of household bleach when used at similar free available chlorine concentrations. Our work demonstrates the potential of ECO solutions, generated onsite, to be used for surface disinfection.     

氯酸钠和亚铁氰化钾的热稳定性研究

采用同步热分析仪（STA）研究了氯酸钠、亚铁氰化钾及其混合物的热分解过程,得到了它们的热流-温度和质量-温度的变化曲线。并通过热分解动力学原理,求得了氯酸钠与亚铁氰化钾混合物的起始放热温度为259．7℃,分解反应热为502．5J／g。     

紫外活化过硫酸钠灭活水中噬菌体MS2的特性及机制

水环境中的病毒对常见的消毒技术有较强的抵抗力.为了开发水中病毒的高效灭活技术,以噬菌体MS2为对象,研究紫外活化过硫酸钠（UV/PS）体系灭活病毒的特性和机制.采用双层平板法对噬菌体MS2进行定量检测,研究UV/PS对水样中噬菌体MS2的灭活率和动力学特征,并考察PS用量、pH值和噬菌体初始浓度等因素对灭活效果的影响.利用透射扫描电镜观察UV/PS处理前后噬菌体的形貌,利用电子顺磁共振波谱法确认反应体系中存在的自由基种类.在自由基淬灭实验的基础上,分析计算UV/PS体系中各因素对噬菌体灭活的贡献率.结果表明,当紫外辐照强度为160 μW·cm^-2时,UV/PS处理4 min即可去除4.39 lg的噬菌体MS2,较单独使用同样辐照剂量的UV消毒灭活率高1.44 lg.UV/PS体系对噬菌体MS2的灭活动力学过程符合一级反应动力学模型.增加体系中的PS初始浓度能明显提高对噬菌体的灭活率和灭活速率,而pH和噬菌体初始浓度对UV/PS灭活噬菌体的影响较小.UV/PS处理可导致噬菌体的衣壳破损,促进了噬菌体颗粒团聚.UV/PS体系中存在SO₄^-·和·OH,是噬菌体MS2灭活的重要因素.·OH比SO₄^-·对噬菌体MS2灭活的贡献更大.     

Critical Review on the Public Health Impact of Norovirus Contamination in Shellfish and the Environment: A UK Perspective

We review the risk of norovirus (NoV) infection to the human population from consumption of contaminated shellfish. From a UK perspective, risk is apportioned for different vectors of NoV infection within the population. NoV spreads mainly by person-to-person contact or via unsanitary food handling. NoV also enters the coastal zone via wastewater discharges resulting in contamination of shellfish waters. Typically, NoV persists in the marine environment for several days, with its presence strongly linked to human population density, wastewater discharge rate, and efficacy of wastewater treatment. Shellfish bioaccumulate NoV and current post-harvest depuration is inefficient in its removal. While NoV can be inactivated by cooking (e.g. mussels), consumption of contaminated raw shellfish (e.g. oysters) represents a risk to human health. Consumption of contaminated food accounts for 3–11% of NoV cases in the UK (~74,000 cases/year), of which 16% are attributable to oyster consumption (11,800 cases/year). However, environmental and human factors influencing NoV infectivity remain poorly understood. Lack of standard methods for accurate quantification of infective and non-infective (damaged) NoV particles represent a major barrier, hampering identification of an appropriate lower NoV contamination limit for shellfish. Future management strategies may include shellfish quality assessment (at point of harvest or at point of supply) or harvesting controls. However, poor understanding of NoV inactivation in shellfish and the environment currently limits accurate apportionment and risk assessment for NoV and hence the identification of appropriate shellfish or environmental quality standards.     

蒽醌-2-磺酸钠促进Klebsiella oxytocaGS-4-08脱色产氢机制与产能分析

采用0~0.5 mmol·L~(-1)蒽醌-2-磺酸钠(AQS)研究其对Klebsiella oxytoca GS-4-08厌氧降解甲基橙(MO)的影响,对比细菌产氢、降解碳源及生成产物等情况,得出最佳浓度为0.1 mmol·L~(-1).在该浓度下,Klebsiella oxytoca GS-4-08可在10 h内完全脱色MO,25 h内降解蔗糖达到92%,同时产生0.117 mol·mol~(-1)乙醇和0.116 mol·mol~(-1)乙酸,2.25 mol·mol~(-1)氢气;将实验结果与已有研究进行对比,分析了AQS促进Klebsiella oxytoca GS-4-08厌氧脱色MO与产氢的机制.通过将细菌降解过程中的物质转换为COD进行对比,对降解过程中电子转移进行了分析,得到0.1 mmol·L~(-1)AQS浓度时电子得率最高,其为87.98%;并将细菌降解过程中的能源转换进行对比,得到0.1 mmol·L~(-1)AQS浓度时能源产量最高,其为802 k J·mol~(-1);同时得出Klebsiella oxytoca GS-4-08发酵过程可产生两种以上生物燃料,表明了其在工业生产应用上的前景.     

噬菌体MS2生物学特性研究

本文分析了噬菌体MS2在水质监测中作为水中肠道病毒指示生物的可行性与优势,并通过试验测定了噬菌体MS2的热稳定性、pH值稳定性、最佳感染复数和一步生长曲线等生物学参数,结果表明:噬菌体MS2的热稳定性较弱,在70℃时5 min内即会全部失活;在pH值4～10的范围内噬菌体MS2均可稳定存在;噬菌体MS2感染其宿主大肠杆...     

The Impact of Winter Relocation and Depuration on Norovirus Concentrations in Pacific Oysters Harvested from a Commercial Production Site

Oysters contaminated with norovirus present a significant public health risk when consumed raw. In this study, norovirus genome copy concentrations were determined in Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) harvested from a sewage-impacted production site and then subjected to site-specific management procedures. These procedures consisted of relocation of oysters to an alternative production area during the norovirus high-risk winter periods (November to March) followed by an extended depuration (self-purification) under controlled temperature conditions. Significant differences in norovirus RNA concentrations were demonstrated at each point in the management process. Thirty-one percent of oyster samples from the main harvest area (Site 1) contained norovirus concentrations >?500 genome copies/g and 29% contained norovirus concentrations <?100 genome copies/g. By contrast, no oyster sample from the alternative harvest area (Site 2) or following depuration contained norovirus concentrations >?500 genome copies/g. In addition, 60 and 88% of oysters samples contained norovirus concentrations <?100 genome copies/g in oysters sampled from Site 2 and following depuration, respectively. These data demonstrate that site-specific management processes, supported by norovirus monitoring, can be an effective strategy to reduce, but not eliminate, consumer exposure to norovirus genome copies.     

磷石膏理化特性对磷石膏库稳定性的影响

通过磷石膏理化特性和晶体结构测试,揭示了磷石膏具有在纯水和盐水中溶解度不一、并随着盐溶液浓度的变化其溶解度不断变化的特征,磷石膏晶体结构也具有这种特性,为磷石膏稳定性研究提供依据.     

氯化钠溶液对微量血氟电极法测定的影响

将加标血清样本与总离子强度调整液(TISAB)1∶1体积混合后加入不同浓度的Na Cl饱和溶液,测定血清氟含量。结果显示对不同的生物血清样本,Na Cl饱和溶液添加量对氟离子选择电极测定影响程度不同;微量小牛血清样本氟含量测定时Na Cl饱和溶液的最佳加入量为20μL;大鼠血清样本氟含量测定时Na Cl饱和溶液的最佳加入量为40μL。运用此方法分别对标准添加的小牛血清和大鼠血清进行测定,结果显示该方法简便、快速,准确度和精密度均达到分析要求。     

纳米TiO2-PAC复合絮凝剂的制备及絮凝效果研究

将溶胶-凝胶法制备的TiO2粉体与缓慢加碱法制得的PAC通过超声反应聚合制得纳米TiO2-PAC复合絮凝剂。通过絮凝实验表明：TiO2-PAC无论是在去除悬浮物,还是在降低CODG和色度方面,均优于普通PAC和AlCl30絮凝过程是纳米TiO2的强吸附作用和PAC的吸附电中和、吸附架桥和沉淀网捕作用共同作用的结果。     

藻细胞和高岭土的存在对病毒MS2存活的影响

选用病毒MS2作为水中肠道病毒的指示病毒,高岭土和铜绿微囊藻分别作为无机颗粒物和有机颗粒物,研究颗粒物浓度、pH值、不同价态离子浓度、天然有机物(NOM)等水质条件下,无机(高岭土)、有机(铜绿微囊藻)颗粒物存在对病毒MS2存活的影响.结果表明,无机颗粒物高岭土对病毒MS2的存活无明显影响,但当水体钙硬度(钙离子产生的硬度)较大时,病毒MS2的表观存活量增加1个对数;铜绿微囊藻的存在会导致病毒MS2的存活量降低1个对数左右,但当溶液的pH值大于4.0或铜绿微囊藻的浓度小于1.0×106cells·L-1时,藻类对病毒的生存无明显影响;当水体钙硬度较大时,藻反而会增加病毒MS2的存活对数.因此在高浊水、高藻水中,水的钙硬度增加会使水体中病毒生存能力变强,进而增加饮用水的安全风险.     

景观水治理中存在问题及优化方案

有些景观水域(人工湖、河)采用宏观粗放的生态法治理取得了较好的效果,但也有一些景观水由于简单地套用宏观生态法进行水质维持,反而使亲水区域减少、蚊蝇滋生、水生植物生长失控、水体混白、清塘困难等不利影响.为此,建议采用造流复氧强化、微观生态系统功能,可以取得较好的效果.