Effects of Abiotic and Biotic Stresses on the Internalization and Dissemination of Human Norovirus Surrogates in Growing Romaine Lettuce

Impact of irrigation water quality on human norovirus surrogate survival during leafy green production

Introduction

The impact of water quality on the survival of human norovirus (NoV) was determined in irrigation water field run-off (tail water) and well water from a representative Central Coast vegetable production site in the Salinas Valley, California.

Methods

Tail water, well water, and ultrapure water samples were inoculated separately with two surrogate viruses for human NoV-Tulane virus (TV) and murine norovirus (MNV)-to achieve a titer of 1×105 plaque forming units (PFU)/ml. Samples were stored at 11, 19, and 24°C for 28 days. Additionally, inoculated water was applied to soil collected from a vegetable production site in the Salinas Valley or to the surface of growing romaine lettuce leaves, and virus infectivity was evaluated for 28 days in a growth chamber.

Results

Virus survival was similar for water stored at 11, 19, and 24°C and there was no difference in infectivity based on water quality. After 28 days, a maximum 1.5 log reduction was observed for both TV and MNV. TV decreased by 1.97-2.26 log and MNV decreased by 1.28- 1.48 logs after 28 days in soil; infectivity was not influenced by water type. Infectious TV and MNV were recovered from lettuce surfaces for up to 7 and 10 days after inoculation, respectively. Across the experiments there was no significant impact of water quality on the stability of the human NoV surrogates.

Discussion

Overall, the human NoV surrogates were highly stable in water with a less than 1.5 log reduction over 28 days and no difference observed based on the water quality. In soil, the titer of TV declined by approximately 2 logs over 28 days, while MNV declined by 1 log during the same time interval, suggesting surrogate-specific inactivation dynamics in the soil tested in this study. A 5-log reduction in MNV (day 10 post inoculation) and TV (day 14 post inoculation) was observed on lettuce leaves, and the inactivation kinetics were not significantly impacted by the quality of water used. These results suggest that human NoV would be highly stable in water, and the quality of the water (e.g., nutrient content, salinity, and turbidity) does not significantly impact viral infectivity.

NGS Techniques Reveal a High Diversity of RNA Viral Pathogens and Papillomaviruses in Fresh Produce and Irrigation Water

Fresh fruits and vegetables are susceptible to microbial contamination at every stage of the food production chain, and as a potential source of pathogens, irrigation water quality is a critical factor. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have been flourishing and expanding to a wide variety of fields. However, their application in food safety remains insufficiently explored, and their sensitivity requires improvement. In this study, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays showed low but frequent contamination of common circulating viral pathogens, which were found in 46.9% of samples of fresh produce: 6/12 lettuce samples, 4/12 strawberries samples, and 5/8 parsley samples. Furthermore, the application of two different NGS approaches, target enrichment sequencing (TES) for detecting viruses that infect vertebrates and amplicon deep sequencing (ADS), revealed a high diversity of viral pathogens, especially Norovirus (NoV) and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), in fresh produce and irrigation water. All NoV and HPV types found in fresh fruit and vegetable samples were also detected in irrigation water sources, indicating that these viruses are common circulating pathogens in the population and that irrigation water may be the most probable source of viral pathogens in food samples.

SARS-CoV-2 from Urban to Rural Water Environment: Occurrence, Persistence, Fate, and Influence on Agriculture Irrigation. A Review

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), originating from China, has rapidly crossed borders, infecting people worldwide. While its transmission may occur predominantly via aerosolization of virus-laden droplets, the possibility of other routes of contagion via the environment necessitates considerable scientific consideration. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA has been detected in the feces of infected persons, and studies also have reported its occurrence in wastewater and surface water bodies. Therefore, water may be a possible route of virus outbreaks. Agricultural irrigation is the largest use of water globally, accounting for 70% of water use worldwide. Ensuring adequate water quality within irrigation practices is fundamental to prevent harm to plants and soils, maintain food safety, and protect public health. This review aims to gather information on possible SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes within urban and rural water environments, looking into the detection, persistence, and fate of SARS-CoV-2. Based on published literature, the effect of current treatment technologies in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) on SARS-CoV-2 inactivation has also been investigated. Preliminary research efforts that concentrated on SARS-CoV-2 indicate that the risk of virus transmission from the aquatic environment may currently be non-existent, although a few studies have reported the presence of SARS-CoV RNA in soils, whereas there are still no studies on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in crops.

Multi-phased internalization of murine norovirus (MNV) in Arabidopsis seedlings and its potential correlation with plant defensive responses

Norovirus is a highly infectious human pathogen that causes acute foodborne diseases worldwide. As global diet patterns have begun to incorporate a higher consumption of fresh agricultural products, the internalization of norovirus into plants has emerged as a potential threat to human health. Here, we demonstrated that murine norovirus (MNV1) was internalized into Arabidopsis in multiple phases, and this internalization was correlated with Arabidopsis innate immunity responses. Under hydroponic conditions, continuous treatment of MNV1 retarded root growth and facilitated flower development of Arabidopsis without causing necrotic lesions. Examination of viral titers and RNA levels revealed that MNV1 was internalized into Arabidopsis in at least three different phases. In response to MNV1 treatment, the Arabidopsis defensive marker PR1 (a salicylic acid signaling marker) was transiently up-regulated at the early stage. PDF1.2, a jasmonic acid signaling marker, exhibited a gradual induction over time. Noticeably, Arabidopsis RNS1 (T2 ribonuclease) was rapidly induced by MNV1 and exhibited anti-correlation with the internalization of MNV1. Exposure to recombinant Arabidopsis RNS1 protein reduced the viral titers and degraded MNV1 RNA in vitro. In conclusion, the internalization of MNV1 into Arabidopsis was fluctuated by mutual interactions that were potentially regulated by Arabidopsis immune systems containing RNS1.

Characterization of conditions for bacteria-human norovirus capsid P protein complex (BPC) binding to and removal from Romaine lettuce extract

Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis. Contaminated produce is a main vehicle for dissemination of human noroviruses (HuNoVs). As HuNoVs could bind to bacteria effectively, it is highly possible that produce could be contaminated by bacteria-HuNoVs complex. In this study, we used a bacterial-surface-display system to express genogroup I (GI) or genogroup II (GII) HuNoV capsid protein (P protein) on the surface of bacteria. The bacteria-P protein complex (BPC) was used to characterize the conditions for binding to Romaine lettuce extract and removal of the bound BPCs. We demonstrated both GI and GII BPCs could bind to extract from leaf (LE) and vein (VE) effectively. Carbohydrates in LE and VE were involved in GI BPCs binding, and both carbohydrates and proteins were involved in GII BPCs binding. Saliva from both type A and O secretors could completely block binding of both BPCs to LE and VE. Saliva from type B secretors only partially blocked binding of GII but not GI BPCs to LE and VE. However, LE- and VE-bound BPCs could not be reversely removed by washing solution containing free HBGAs from saliva. The binding of GI BPCs to LE and VE was enhanced when pH was below pI (6.1) of GI and reduced when pH was above pI of GI (p < 0.05). The optimal binding for GII BPCs to LE and VE occurred at pI (6.4) of GII. All LE- or VE-bound BPCs could be reversely removed by washing with low (3.0-5.0) or high (9.0-10.0) pH buffer. The effect of ionic strength (NaCl and MgCl2, from zero to 100 g/L) on binding of BPCs to LE and VE was tested. The optimal ionic strength for binding of BPCs to LE and VE was 10.0 g/L (GI) and 5.0 g/L (GII) for NaCl, and 5.0 g/L for MgCl2. LE- and VE-bound BPCs could be reversely removed by washing with high ionic solutions. All LE- or VE- bound BPCs could be released when washed with NaCl concentrations of above 75.0 g/L (GI) and 25.0 g/L (GII), or with MgCl2 concentrations of above 75.0 g/L (GI) and 50.0 g/L (GII). Binding of BPCs to LE and VE was inhibited in the presence of Tween-80 (nonionic surfactant) as low as 0.05% (v/v). All LE- and VE-bound BPCs could be reversed by Tween-80 concentrations over 0.1% (v/v). The study provided important parameters for BPCs binding to and removal from lettuce extract.

Key characteristics of foods with an elevated risk for viral enteropathogen contamination

Viral enteropathogens are one of the leading causative agents of foodborne illnesses in both the United States and the European Union. While human noroviruses and hepatitis A virus cause the vast majority of outbreaks and illnesses, there are handful of human enteric viruses that contribute to sporadic outbreaks worldwide including astrovirus, sapovirus, rotavirus, enterovirus and Aichi virus. In addition, hepatitis E virus is increasingly being recognized as an emerging zoonotic threat within the food supply. This review aims to briefly describe the primary human enteric viruses of concern with respect to foodborne transmission. Next, we focus on the contamination and persistence of these viruses within three high-risk food commodities-leafy greens, soft red fruits and bivalve mollusks. As opposed to detailing the specific routes by which these foods can be contaminated with enteric viruses, we have chosen to focus on their persistence and specific interactions within the food itself. Therefore, the processes of attachment and internalization of the viruses in foods have been emphasized. Looking forward, the implications of these specific interactions of human enteric viruses with leafy greens, soft red fruits and bivalve mollusks are briefly considered within the context of future prevention and control strategies.

Irrigating Lettuce with Wastewater Effluent: Does Disinfection with Chlorine Dioxide Inactivate Viruses?

Reclaimed water obtained from urban wastewater is currently being used as irrigation water in water-scarce regions in Spain. However, wastewater can contain enteric viruses that water reclamation treatment cannot remove or inactivate completely. In the present study, greenhouse-grown baby lettuce ( L.) was irrigated with secondary treatment effluent from a wastewater treatment plant untreated and treated using chlorine dioxide (ClO). The effect of ClO treatment on the physicochemical characteristics and the presence of enteric viruses in irrigation water and lettuce was assessed. The presence of human noroviruses genogroups I and II (NoV GI and NoV GII), and human astroviruses (HAstV), was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Additionally, to check for the loss of infectivity induced by the disinfection treatment, positive samples were re-analyzed after pretreatment with the intercalating dye PMAxx before RNA extraction and RT-qPCR. There were no significant differences in the proportion of positive samples and the concentration of enteric viruses between treated and untreated reclaimed water without PMAxx pretreatment ( > 0.05). A significantly lower concentration of NoV GI was detected in ClO-treated water when samples were pretreated with PMAxx ( < 0.05), indicating that inactivation was due to the disinfection treatment. Laboratory-scale validation tests indicated the suitability of PMAxx-RT-qPCR for discrimination between potentially infectious and ClO-damaged viruses. Although the applied ClO treatment was not able to significantly reduce the enteric virus load of the secondary effluent from the wastewater treatment plant, none of the lettuce samples analyzed ( = 36) was positive for the presence of NoV or HAstV.

Internalization and dissemination of human norovirus and Tulane virus in fresh produce is plant dependent

Human norovirus (NoV) is a leading cause of fresh produce associated outbreaks. Previous research indicates that the roots of growing leafy greens and berries internalize human NoV. However the effect of plant type and inoculum level on internalization rates has not been directly compared. In this study we compared the internalization and dissemination rates of human NoV and its surrogate, Tulane virus (TV) in green onion, radishes, and Romaine lettuce. We also evaluated the effect inoculum level and plant growth matrix on the rate of viral internalization. In the hydroponic growth system, we detected internalization and dissemination of human NoV RNA in green onions. In hydroponically growing green onions inoculated with high titer TV, we found higher rates of internalization and dissemination compared to green onions inoculated with low titer TV. In soil growth systems, no infectious TV was detected in either green onion or radishes. However, in Romaine lettuce plants grown in soil approximately 4 log10 PFU/g was recovered from all tissues on day 14 p.i. Overall, we found that the type of plant, growth matrix, and the inoculum level influences the internalization and dissemination of human NoV and TV.

Salinity Stress Does Not Affect Root Uptake, Dissemination and Persistence of Salmonella in Sweet-basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Crop produce can be contaminated in the field during cultivation by bacterial human pathogens originating from contaminated soil or irrigation water. The bacterial pathogens interact with the plant, can penetrate the plant via the root system and translocate and survive in above-ground tissues. The present study is first to investigate effects of an abiotic stress, salinity, on the interaction of plants with a bacterial human pathogen. The main sources of human bacterial contamination of plants are manures and marginal irrigation waters such as treated or un-treated wastewater. These are often saline and induce morphological, chemical and physiological changes in plants that might affect the interaction between the pathogens and the plant and thereby the potential for plant contamination. This research studied effects of salinity on the internalization of the bacterial human pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Newport via the root system of sweet-basil plants, dissemination of the bacteria in the plant, and kinetics of survival in planta. Irrigation with 30 mM NaCl-salinity induced typical salt-stress effects on the plant: growth was reduced, Na and Cl concentrations increased, K and Ca concentrations reduced, osmotic potential and anti-oxidative activity were increased by 30%, stomatal conductance was reduced, and concentrations of essential-oils in the plants increased by 26%. Despite these physical, chemical and morphological changes in the plants, root internalization of the bacteria and its translocation to the shoot were not affected, and neither was the die-off rate of Salmonella in planta. The results demonstrate that the salinity-induced changes in the sweet-basil plants did not affect the interaction between Salmonella and the plant and thereby the potential for crop contamination.

Effect of Leaf Surface Chemical Properties on Efficacy of Sanitizer for Rotavirus Inactivation

The use of sanitizers is essential for produce safety. However, little is known about how sanitizer efficacy varies with respect to the chemical surface properties of produce. To answer this question, the disinfection efficacies of an oxidant-based sanitizer and a new surfactant-based sanitizer for porcine rotavirus (PRV) strain OSU were examined. PRV was attached to the leaf surfaces of two kale cultivars with high epicuticular wax contents and one cultivar of endive with a low epicuticular wax content and then treated with each sanitizer. The efficacy of the oxidant-based sanitizer correlated with leaf wax content as evidenced by the 1-log10 PRV disinfection on endive surfaces (low wax content) and 3-log10 disinfection of the cultivars with higher wax contents. In contrast, the surfactant-based sanitizer showed similar PRV disinfection efficacies (up to 3 log10) that were independent of leaf wax content. A statistical difference was observed with the disinfection efficacies of the oxidant-based sanitizer for suspended and attached PRV, while the surfactant-based sanitizer showed similar PRV disinfection efficacies. Significant reductions in the entry and replication of PRV were observed after treatment with either disinfectant. Moreover, the oxidant-based-sanitizer-treated PRV showed sialic acid-specific binding to the host cells, whereas the surfactant-based sanitizer increased the nonspecific binding of PRV to the host cells. These findings suggest that the surface properties of fresh produce may affect the efficacy of virus disinfection, implying that food sanitizers should be carefully selected for the different surface characteristics of fresh produce.

IMPORTANCE

Food sanitizer efficacies are affected by the surface properties of vegetables. This study evaluated the disinfection efficacies of two food sanitizers, an oxidant-based sanitizer and a surfactant-based sanitizer, on porcine rotavirus strain OSU adhering to the leaf epicuticular surfaces of high- and low-wax-content cultivars. The disinfection efficacy of the oxidant-based sanitizer was affected by the surface properties of the vegetables, while the surfactant-based sanitizer was effective for both high- and low-wax leafy vegetable cultivars. This study suggests that the surface properties of vegetables may be an important factor that interacts with disinfection with food sanitizers of rotaviruses adhering to fresh produce.

Metagenomic analysis of viruses associated with field-grown and retail lettuce identifies human and animal viruses

The emergence of culture- and sequence-independent metagenomic methods has not only provided great insight into the microbial community structure in a wide range of clinical and environmental samples but has also proven to be powerful tools for pathogen detection. Recent studies of the food microbiome have revealed the vast genetic diversity of bacteria associated with fresh produce. However, no work has been done to apply metagenomic methods to tackle viruses associated with fresh produce for addressing food safety. Thus, there is a little knowledge about the presence and diversity of viruses associated with fresh produce from farm-to-fork. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed viruses on commercial romaine and iceberg lettuces in fields and a produce distribution center using a shotgun metagenomic sequencing targeting both RNA and DNA viruses. Commercial lettuce harbors an immense assemblage of viruses that infect a wide range of hosts. As expected, plant pathogenic viruses dominated these communities. Sequences of rotaviruses and picobirnaviruses were also identified in both field-harvest and retail lettuce samples, suggesting an emerging foodborne transmission threat that has yet to be fully recognized. The identification of human and animal viruses in lettuce samples in the field emphasizes the importance of preventing viral contamination on leafy greens starting at the field. Although there are still some inherent experimental and bioinformatics challenges in applying viral metagenomic approaches for food safety testing, this work will facilitate further application of this unprecedented deep sequencing method to food samples.

Abiotic Stress and Phyllosphere Bacteria Influence the Survival of Human Norovirus and Its Surrogates on Preharvest Leafy Greens

Foodborne outbreaks of human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are frequently associated with leafy greens. Because there is no effective method to eliminate HuNoV from postharvest leafy greens, understanding virus survival under preharvest conditions is crucial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of HuNoV and its surrogate viruses, murine norovirus (MNV), porcine sapovirus (SaV), and Tulane virus (TV), on preharvest lettuce and spinach that were subjected to abiotic stress (physical damage, heat, or flood). We also examined the bacteria culturable from the phyllosphere in response to abiotic stress and in relation to viral persistence. Mature plants were subjected to stressors 2 days prior to inoculation of the viruses on leaves. We quantified the viral RNA, determined the infectivity of the surrogates, and performed bacterial counts on postinoculation days (PIDs) 0, 1, 7, and 14. For both plant types, time exerted significant effects on HuNoV, MNV, SaV, and TV RNA titers, with greater effects being seen for the surrogates. Infectious surrogate viruses were undetectable on PID 14. Only physical damage on PID 14 significantly enhanced HuNoV RNA persistence on lettuce, while the three stressors differentially enhanced the persistence of MNV and TV RNA. Bacterial counts were significantly affected by time and plant type but not by the stressors. However, bacterial counts correlated significantly with HuNoV RNA titers on spinach and with the presence of surrogate viruses on both plant types under various conditions. In conclusion, abiotic stressors and phyllosphere bacterial density may differentially influence the survival of HuNoV and its surrogates on lettuce and spinach, emphasizing the need for the use of preventive measures at the preharvest stage.