Real-Time PCR Detection of Norovirus in Mussels Collected from the Bosphorus in Istanbul,Turkey

Norovirus (NoV) is recognised as one of the most common causes of foodborne infections, and shellfish are a well-documented source of this virus. The presence of NoV in shellfish has not previously been investigated in Turkey, and hence the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of human NoV genogroups I and II in mussels collected from the Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 320 mussels representing 110 samples originating along the Bosphorus coast were collected from fish distributors. RNA was extracted using the RNeasy Mini Kit and real-time RT–PCR performed using primers specific for NoV genogroup I and II. Amongst the 110 samples, 5 (4.5%) were found to be positive for NoV genogroup II by SYBR Green assay; no genogroup I was detected. A positive signal was obtained by SYBR Green for NoV Genogroup II in mussels collected in October, November and December 2008, and February and July 2009. Only four out of five SYBR Green positive samples could be confirmed by the use of a NoV GII probe-based real-time RT–PCR. The average count and SD of Enterobactericaeae, E. coli and sulphide reductase anaerobic bacteria in PCR positive mussels were 3.56 log ± 0.96 log, 2.32 log ± 0.77 log and 1.70 log ± 0.56 log, respectively. This study shows that NoV Genogroup II is present in mussels collected from the Bosphorus, Istanbul, and may constitute a risk to human health.     

Occurrence of Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus in Wild Mussels Collected from the Baltic Sea

The aim of the study was to define the occurrence of human noroviruses of genogroup I and II (NoV GI and NoV GII) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the Baltic Sea mussels. The shellfish samples were taken at the sampling sites located on the Polish coast. In total, 120 shellfish were tested as pooled samples using RT-PCR and hybridisation with virus specific probes. NoV GI was detected in 22 (18.3 %), NoV GII in 28 (23.3 %), and HAV in 9 (7.5 %) of the shellfish. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the detected NoV GII strains showed a 97.3–99.3 % similarity to GII.4 virus strain. This is the first report describing the NoV and HAV occurrence in wild Baltic mussels and their possible role as bioindicators of seawater contamination with human enteric viruses.     

Detection and Characterization of Hepatitis A Virus and Norovirus in Mussels from Galicia (NW Spain)

Shellfish are recognized as a potential vehicle of viral disease and despite the control measures for shellfish safety there is periodic emergence of viral outbreaks associated with shellfish consumption. In this study a total of 81 mussel samples from Ría do Burgo, A Coruña (NW Spain) were analysed. Samples were collected in seven different harvesting areas with the aim to establish a correlation between the prevalence of norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in mussel samples and the water quality. In addition, the genogroup of the detected HAV and NoV strains was also determined. The HAV presence was detected in 18.5 % of the samples. Contamination levels for this virus ranged from 1.1 × 10² to 4.1 × 10⁶ RNA copies/g digestive tissue. NoV were detected in 49.4 % of the cases reaching contamination levels from 5.9 × 10³ to 1.6 × 10⁹ RNA copies/g digestive tissue for NoV GI and from 6.1 × 10³ to 5.4 × 10⁶ RNA copies/g digestive tissue for NoV GII. The χ²-test showed no statistical correlation between the number of positive samples and the classification of molluscan harvesting area based on the E. coli number. All the detected HAV strains belong to genogroup IB. NoV strains were assigned to genotype I.4, II.4 and II.6.     

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.     

The Presence of Norovirus and Adenovirus on Environmental Surfaces in Relation to the Hygienic Level in Food Service Operations Associated with a Suspected Gastroenteritis Outbreak

Norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis outbreaks appear frequently in food service operations (FSOs), such as in restaurants and canteens. In this study the presence of NoV and adenovirus (AdV) genomes was investigated on the surfaces of premises, especially in kitchens, of 30 FSOs where foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks were suspected. The objective was to establish a possible association between the presence of virus genomes on surfaces and a visual hygienic status of the FSOs. NoV genome was found in 11 and AdV genome in 8 out of 30 FSOs. In total, 291 swabs were taken, of which 8.9% contained NoV and 5.8% AdV genome. The presence of NoV genomes on the surfaces was not found to associate with lower hygiene level of the premises when based on visual inspection; most (7/9) of the FSOs with NoV contamination on surfaces and a completed evaluation form had a good hygiene level (the best category). Restaurants had a significantly lower proportion of NoV-positive swabs compared to other FSOs (canteens, cafeteria, schools etc.) taken together (p = 0.00014). The presence of a designated break room for the workers was found to be significantly more common in AdV-negative kitchens (p = 0.046). Our findings suggest that swabbing is necessary for revealing viral contamination of surfaces and emphasis of hygiene inspections should be on the food handling procedures, and the education of food workers on virus transmission.     

The Influence of Temperature on Norovirus Inactivation by Monochloramine in Potable Waters: Testing with Murine Norovirus as a Surrogate for Human Norovirus

Human noroviral infections are generally more common during winters in temperate regions. This study used a murine norovirus (MNV) as a human norovirus surrogate to test the effect of water temperature (4 and 25°C) on virus survival and its susceptibility to the levels of monochloramine (~1.89 ppm) to terminally disinfect municipally treated potable waters. The titre of MNV remained essentially unchanged for at least 24 h in raw river water at both temperatures. The virus became undetectable in <2 h in monochloramine-containing samples held at 25°C, but its titre remained virtually unaltered at 4°C (P < 0.05) under the same conditions. These findings strongly suggest that water temperature can influence the norovirucidal activity of monochloramine and its possible impact on the seasonality of outbreaks of noroviral infections.     

冠状病毒气溶胶传播及环境影响因素

当前,新型冠状病毒肺炎正在全球大范围流行,严重影响了人类健康和生产生活.目前已明确的新型冠状病毒的传播途径包括飞沫传播和接触传播,一些传播感染事件的研究间接证明新型冠状病毒可以通过空气传播,然而对于新型冠状病毒通过气溶胶传播机制的认识仍然不足,其对疾病传播的相对贡献等还在研究和论证中.本文分析了引起重症急性呼吸综合征、...     

Optimizing Human Intestinal Enteroids for Environmental Monitoring of Human Norovirus

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. Integrating data from 200 experiments, we examined six variables: HIE age, HIE basement membrane compounds (BMC), HuNoV inoculum processing, HuNoV inoculum volume, treatment of data below limit of detection (LOD), and cutoff criteria for determining positive HuNoV growth. We infected HIEs with HuNoV GII.4 Sydney positive stool and determined 1.4 × 10³ genome equivalents per HIE well were required for HuNoV replication. HIE age had minimal effect on assay outcomes. LOD replacement and cutoff affected data interpretation, with lower values resulting in higher estimated HuNoV detection. Higher inoculum volumes lead to minimal decreases in HuNoV growth, with an optimal volume of 250uL facilitating capture of low concentrations of HuNoVs present in environmental isolates. Processing of HuNoV inoculum is valuable for disinfection studies and concentrating samples but is not necessary for all HIE applications. This work enhances the HuNoV HIE cell culture approach for environmental monitoring. Future HIE research should report cell age as days of growth and should clearly describe BMC choice, LOD handling, and positive cutoff.

     

Inactivation of Murine Norovirus Suspended in Organic Matter Simulating Actual Conditions of Viral Contamination

Food and Environmental Virology - Foodborne viral illnesses are frequent worldwide and costly for the society. Human norovirus is one of the most common causal agents. Although some norovirus...     

Development of a Specific Anti-capsid Antibody- and Magnetic Bead-Based Immunoassay to Detect Human Norovirus Particles in Stool Samples and Spiked Mussels via Flow Cytometry

Food and Environmental Virology - Human noroviruses impose a considerable health burden globally. Here, a flow cytometry approach designed for their detection in biological waste and food samples...     

国务院关于2021年度环境状况和环境保护目标完成情况的报告

<正>党中央、国务院高度重视生态环境保护工作。习近平总书记在出席重要会议活动和到各地考察时,就新形势下加强生态文明建设、实现碳达峰碳中和、深入打好污染防治攻坚战、保护生物多样性、应对气候变化等多次发表重要讲话、作出重要指示批示,为进一步做好生态环境保护工作提供了根本遵循。李克强总理强调,要深入实施可持续发展战略,巩固蓝天、碧水、净土保卫战成果,促进生产生活方式绿色转型。韩正副总理等领导同志提出明确工作要求。     

西南环境移民安置地的生态环境状况

以桂西北环江县肯福环境移民安置示范区为例，对我国西南喀斯特地区，环境移民安置区的气候、地貌、土壤与植被等主要生态因子，进行了调查研究与取样分析，研究表明，环境移民安置地由于地处亚热带季风气候区，具有气候温暖，雨量充沛、日照充足，且雨热同季的特点；地貌破碎，土地以坡地为主，但有一定量可开垦利用的土地；土壤主要为红壤，土壤剖面发育良好，有机质和氮含量相对丰富，磷、钾缺乏，土壤酸度大，土壤质地和结构尚可     

环境监测在环境影响评价中的影响分析

环境监测贯穿于整个环境影响评价体系中,环境影响评价中的评价初期、建设期、运行期以及后评价期,均由环境监测数据来支撑结果,是环境影响评价的技术基础,同时具有较强的监督功能.     

环境监测在环境影响评价中的影响分析

环境监测贯穿于整个环境影响评价体系中,环境影响评价中的评价初期、建设期、运行期以及后评价期,均由环境监测数据来支撑结果,是环境影响评价的技术基础,同时具有较强的监督功能。     

中国履行国际环境公约的影响研究

随着国际社会对加强国际合作,解决全球环境问题认识的提高,利用国际环境公约的手段来保护日益恶化的环境已被世界各国普遍认为是一种有效的方式。由于国际环境公约对中国的国民经济和社会发展具有深远的影响,所以完善国家参与国际环境公约的策略,制定执行国际环境公约的战略和行动计划,将有利于国家通过参加国际环境公约促进环境、社会和实现可持续发展。鉴于此,本论文将讨论国际环境公约的特点,分析国际环境公约对中国的影响。最后,对中国履行国际环境公约的立场和对策提出建议。     

淋滤条件下红壤中稀土元素的环境化学行为研究

红壤中稀土元素的淋滤实验表明酸性红壤其稀土元素的淋出量比石灰性红壤高得多；淋滤液酸性越强，稀土淋出越强烈，添加粘土矿物及有机质后样品中稀土元素在酸性条件下淋出量比原样明显减少．