Use of ATP Readings to Predict a Successful Hygiene Intervention in the Workplace to Reduce the Spread of Viruses on Fomites

The purpose of this study was to validate the use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for evaluating hygiene intervention effectiveness in reducing viral dissemination in an office environment. The bacterial virus MS-2 was used to evaluate two scenarios, one where the hand of an individual was contaminated and another where a fomite was contaminated. MS-2 was selected as a model because its shape and size are similar to many human pathogenic viruses. Two separate experiments were conducted, one in which the entrance door push plate was inoculated and the other in which the hand of one selected employee was inoculated. In both scenarios, 54 selected surfaces in the office were tested to assess the dissemination of the virus within the office. Associated surface contamination was also measured employing an ATP meter. More than half of the tested hands and surfaces in the office were contaminated with MS-2 within 4 h. Next, an intervention was conducted, and each scenario was repeated. Half of the participating employees were provided hand sanitizer, facial tissues, and disinfecting wipes, and were instructed in their use. A significant (p < 0.05) reduction was observed in the number of surfaces contaminated with virus. This reduction in viral spread was evident from the results of both viral culture and the surface ATP measurements, although there was no direct correlation between ATP measurements with respect to viral concentration. Although ATP does not measure viruses, these results demonstrate that ATP measurements could be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of hygiene interventions aimed at preventing viral spread in the workplace.     

Norovirus GII.Pe Genotype: Tracking a Foodborne Outbreak on a Cruise Ship Through Molecular Epidemiology,Brazil, 2014

Norovirus (NoV) is recognized as the most common cause of foodborne outbreaks. In 2014, an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis occurred on a cruise ship in Brazil, and NoV became the suspected etiology. Here we present the molecular identification of the NoV strains and the use of sequence analysis to determine modes of virus transmission. Food (cream cheese, tuna salad, grilled fish, orange mousse, and vegetables soup) and clinical samples were analyzed by ELISA, conventional RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, and sequencing. Genogroup GII NoV was identified by ELISA and conventional RT-PCR in fecal samples from 5 of 12 patients tested (41.7%), and in the orange mousse food sample by conventional RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. Two fecal GII NoV samples and the orange mousse GII NoV sample were successfully genotyped as GII.Pe (ORF 1), revealed 98.0–98.8% identities among them, and shared phylogenetically distinct cluster. Establishing the source of a NoV outbreak can be a challenging task. In this report, the molecular analysis of the partial RdRp NoV gene provided a powerful tool for genotyping (GII.Pe) and tracking of outbreak-related samples. In addition, the same fast and simple extraction methods applied to clinical samples could be successfully used for complex food matrices, and have the potential to be introduced in routine laboratories for screening foods for presence of NoV.     

Use of Preservative Agents and Antibiotics for Increased Poliovirus Survival on Positively Charged Filters

Environmental surveillance of poliovirus (PV) and other non-enveloped viruses can help identify silent circulation and is necessary to certify eradication. The bag-mediated filtration system is an efficient method to filter large volumes of environmental waters at field sites for monitoring the presence of viruses. As filters may require long transit times to off-site laboratories for processing, viral inactivation or overgrowth of bacteria and fungi can interfere with virus detection and quantification (Miki and Jacquet in Aquatic Microb Ecol 51(2):195–208, 2008). To evaluate virus survival over time on ViroCap^? filters, the filters were seeded with PV type 1 (PV1) and/or MS2 and then dosed with preservatives or antibiotics prior to storage and elution. These filters were stored at various temperatures and time periods, and then eluted for PV1 and MS2 recovery quantification. Filters dosed with the preservative combination of 2% sodium benzoate and 0.2% calcium propionate had increased virus survival over time when stored at 25 °C, compared to samples stored at 25 °C with no preservatives. While elution within 24 h of filtration is recommended, if storage or shipping is required then this preservative mixture can help preserve sample integrity. Addition of an antibiotic cocktail containing cephapirin, gentamicin, and Proclin^? 300 increased recovery after storage at 4 and 25 °C, when compared to storage with no antibiotics. The antibiotic cocktail can aid sample preservation if access to appropriate antibiotics storage is available and sample cold chain is unreliable. This study demonstrated that the use of preservatives or antibiotics is a simple, cost-effective method to improve virus detection from ViroCap cartridge filters over time.     

DNA Heat Treatment for Improving qPCR Analysis of Human Adenovirus in Wastewater

PCR inhibitory substances in complex sample matrices can cause false negatives or under-estimation of target concentration. This study assessed DNA heat treatment for reducing inhibition during qPCR analysis of human adenovirus (HAdV) in wastewater samples. Inhibition was reduced by heat treating DNA, where mean HAdV concentration was increased by 0.71 log₁₀ GC/L (and up to 3.04 log₁₀ GC/L in one case), and replicate variability and false negatives were reduced. DNA heat treatment should be further investigated for improving reliability of HAdV concentration estimates in water, which can support more accurate assessment of health risks associated with viral pathogen exposure.     

Assessment and Evaluation of an Integrated Hybrid Anaerobic–Aerobic Sewage Treatment System for the Removal of Enteric Viruses

The capability of a cost-effective and a small size decentralized pilot wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to remove enteric viruses such as rotavirus, norovirus genogroup I (GGI), norovirus genogroup II (GGII), Hepatitis E virus (HEV), and adenovirus was studied. This pilot plant is an integrated hybrid anaerobic/aerobic setup which consisted of anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), biological aerated filter (BAF), and inclined plate settler (IPS). Both the UASB and BAF are packed with a non-woven polyester fabric (NWPF). Results indicated that the overall log₁₀ reductions of enteric viruses’ genome copies through the whole system were 3.1 ± 1, 3.3 ± 0.5, and 2.6 ± 0.9 log₁₀ for rotavirus, norovirus GGI, and adenovirus, respectively. Reduction efficiency for both norovirus GGII and HEV after the different treatment steps could not be calculated because there were no significant numbers of positive samples for both viruses. The overall reduction of rotavirus infectious units through the whole system was 2.2 ± 0.8 log₁₀ reduction which is very close to the overall log₁₀ reduction of adenovirus infectious units through the whole system which was 2.1 ± 0.8 log₁₀ reduction. There was no considerable difference in the removal efficiency for different rotavirus G and P types. Adenovirus 41 was the only type detected in the all positive samples. Although the pilot WWTP investigated is cost effective, has a small footprint, does not need a long distance network pipes, and easy to operate, its efficiency to remove enteric viruses is comparable with the conventional centralized WWTPs.     

集雨种植下不同沟垄比对土壤呼吸的影响及其对水热因子的响应

为探明不同宽度沟垄集雨种植下土壤呼吸对土壤水热因子的响应机制,对比研究了沟垄比分别为20 cm∶40 cm(P40)、30 cm∶30 cm(P30)、40 cm∶20 cm(P20)的沟垄集雨种植和平作种植(CP)下冬小麦的土壤呼吸动态变化,及其与土壤温度和水分的关系.结果表明,4个处理的土壤呼吸速率在越冬期最低,返青期开始升高,扬花期前后达到峰值,之后逐渐降低.沟垄集雨处理土壤呼吸速率表现为P40P30P20,垄宽增加使呼吸速率提高1.2%~18.4%;苗期和越冬期,沟垄集雨种植提高了土壤呼吸速率,表现为P40P30P20CP,其中苗期3个沟垄集雨处理均显著高于CP(P0.05),越冬期P40处理显著高于CP;苗期和越冬期沟垄集雨种植提高了土壤温度,拔节期至成熟期CP土壤温度高于沟垄集雨处理;沟垄集雨种植能有效蓄水保墒,随着垄宽的增加集雨效果越好,苗期至拔节期降雨稀少,7.6 cm和12 cm土层土壤含水量均表现为P40P30P20CP.相关分析表明,土壤呼吸与温度的相关系数达极显著水平(P0.01),P40和P30的土壤呼吸与水分的相关系数小于P20和CP;水热双因子二次方程模型能解释呼吸变化的61.7%~74.1%,温度指数模型能解释50.3%~68.2%.本研究结果为沟垄集雨种植的生态效益评估提供理论依据.     

人类活动对漓江地表水体水-岩作用的影响

人类活动对流域水质的影响受到越来越多的关注.为探讨人类活动对岩溶地表水体水-岩作用的影响,以受农业、工业、旅游业活动及城市发展综合影响的漓江流域为研究对象,于2016年7~11月采集河水样,分析水化学和δ~(13)C_(DIC)数据.结果表明:(1)漓江水化学类型为HCO_3-Ca.在阴离子成分中,SO_4~2和NO_3~-仅次于HCO_3~-,并且在漓江桂林至阳朔段,因城市及城镇分布密集,旅游业发达,浓度较高.(2)[Ca~(2+)+Mg~(2+)]/[HCO_3~-]当量比值在1.01~1.51之间,[Ca~(2+)+Mg~(2+)]/[SO_4~(2-)+NO_3~-+HCO_3~-]比值在0.85~1.12之间,说明硫酸、硝酸参与了水-岩作用.(3)碳酸溶蚀碳酸盐岩的比例平均为75.89%.硫酸和硝酸溶蚀碳酸盐岩的比例平均为24.11%.硝酸、硫酸溶蚀碳酸盐岩的能力多雨期强于少雨期.此外,硫酸和硝酸溶蚀碳酸盐岩的比例从上游到下游呈波动增大趋势,最高值出现于灵川县城,最低出现于漓江上游的华江.(4)碳酸风化碳酸盐岩对HCO_3~-的贡献最大,平均为83.58%;其次为硫酸和硝酸风化碳酸盐岩,平均为14.24%;碳酸风化硅酸盐岩对HCO_3~-的贡献最小,平均为2.18%,华江和峡背碳酸风化硅酸盐岩对HCO_3~-的贡献较其他点突出,这与流域地质背景相符合.(5)δ~(13)C_(DIC)值介于-11.95‰~-7.61‰之间;通过端元混合模型估算的δ~(13)C_(DIC-rock)介于-14.24‰~-7.23‰之间.多雨期δ~(13)C_(DIC)值与δ~(13)C_(DIC-rock)值比较接近,少雨期δ~(13)C_(DIC)值明显重于δ~(13)C_(DIC-rock).δ~(13)C_(DIC)与δ~(13)C_(DIC-rock)之间存在一定差异,是由于受到水生植物光合作用的影响.