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Trudel-Ferland M, Collard MÈ, Goulet-Beaulieu V, Jubinville E, Hamon F, Jean J. Evaluation of a new automated viral RNA extraction platform for hepatitis A virus and human norovirus in testing of berries, lettuce, and oysters. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 416:110664. [PMID: 38492524 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Fruits, vegetables, and shellfish are often associated with outbreaks of illness caused particularly by human norovirus (HuNoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), the leading causative agents of foodborne illness worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new automated nucleic acid extraction platform (EGENE-UP EASYPREP) for enteric viruses in several at-risk food matrices and to test its limit of detection in comparison to a semi-automated method (EGENE-UP) using Boom methodology for nucleic acid extraction as suggested in the reference method ISO 15216-2:2019. Fresh and frozen raspberries, frozen blackberries, romaine lettuce and oyster digestive glands were artificially contaminated with HAV, HuNoV GII.4 or HuNoV GI.7 at 102, 103 or 104 genome copies/sample. Virus was then recovered from the food matrix using the ISO method. Viral RNA extracted from frozen berry samples by the automated system was purified on a column for additional removal of RT-qPCR inhibitors. For fresh raspberry, oysters, and romaine lettuce, the two extraction platforms were deemed equivalent. For frozen raspberry, the automated platform appeared to be more efficient for viral recovery, particularly for HAV and HuNoV GI at lower concentrations. With frozen blackberries, the two platforms may be considered equivalent for all targeted viruses. However, the automated method led to less sample-associated inhibition of the PCR, 56.5 % of samples versus 95.0 % for the semi-automated. We thus found that the automated extraction can be performed easily by users while obtaining equivalent or even superior results to the ISO 15216-2:2019 method, and therefore appears to be suitable for routine sanitary monitoring in food processing and for tracing outbreaks of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Trudel-Ferland
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Collard
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Valérie Goulet-Beaulieu
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Eric Jubinville
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | | | - Julie Jean
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
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Inaida S, Mizukoshi A, Azuma K, Okumura J. Reduced norovirus epidemic follows increased sales of hand hygiene products in Japan, 2020-2021. Environ Health Prev Med 2023; 28:18. [PMID: 36878577 PMCID: PMC10025861 DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.22-00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During the recent emergence of COVID-19, an increased practice of hand hygiene coincided with the reduced incidence of the norovirus epidemic in Japan, which is similar to experience with the pandemic flu in 2009. We investigated the relationship between the sales of hand hygiene products, including liquid hand soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and the trend of norovirus epidemic. We used national gastroenteritis surveillance data across Japan in 2020 and 2021 and compared the base statistics of incidence of these two years with the average of the previous 10 years (2010-2019). We calculated the correlations (Spearman's Rho) between monthly sales of hand hygiene products and monthly norovirus cases and fitted them to a regression model. In 2020, there was no epidemic, and the incidence peak was the lowest in recent norovirus epidemics. In 2021, the incidence peak was delayed for five weeks to the usual epidemic seasons. Correlation coefficients between monthly sales of liquid hand soap and skin antiseptics and norovirus incidence showed a significantly negative correlation (Spearman's Rho = -0.88 and p = 0.002 for liquid hand soap; Spearman's Rho = -0.81 and p = 0.007 for skin antiseptics). Exponential regression models were fitted between the sales of each hand hygiene product and norovirus cases, respectively. The results suggest hand hygiene using these products is a potentially useful prevention method against norovirus epidemics. Effective ways of hand hygiene for increasing the prevention of norovirus should therefore be studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinako Inaida
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Behavioral Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University
| | - Atsushi Mizukoshi
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Behavioral Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University
| | - Kenich Azuma
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Behavioral Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University
| | - Jiro Okumura
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Behavioral Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University
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Polkowska A, Räsänen S, Nuorti P, Maunula L, Jalava K. Assessment of Food and Waterborne Viral Outbreaks by Using Field Epidemiologic, Modern Laboratory and Statistical Methods-Lessons Learnt from Seven Major Norovirus Outbreaks in Finland. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10121624. [PMID: 34959579 PMCID: PMC8707936 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10121624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Seven major food- and waterborne norovirus outbreaks in Western Finland during 2014–2018 were re-analysed. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of outbreak investigation tools and evaluate the Kaplan criteria. We summarised epidemiological and microbiological findings from seven outbreaks. To evaluate the Kaplan criteria, a one-stage meta-analysis of data from seven cohort studies was performed. The case was defined as a person attending an implicated function with diarrhoea, vomiting or two other symptoms. Altogether, 22% (386/1794) of persons met the case definition. Overall adjusted, 73% of norovirus patients were vomiting, the mean incubation period was 44 h (4 h to 4 days) and the median duration of illness was 46 h. As vomiting was a more common symptom in children (96%, 143/149) and diarrhoea among the elderly (92%, 24/26), symptom and age presentation should drive hypothesis formulation. The Kaplan criteria were useful in initial outbreak assessments prior to faecal results. Rapid food control inspections enabled evidence-based, public-health-driven risk assessments. This led to probability-based vehicle identification and aided in resolving the outbreak event mechanism rather than implementing potentially ineffective, large-scale public health actions such as the withdrawal of extensive food lots. Asymptomatic food handlers should be ideally withdrawn from high-risk work for five days instead of the current two days. Food and environmental samples often remain negative with norovirus, highlighting the importance of research collaborations. Electronic questionnaire and open-source novel statistical programmes provided time and resource savings. The public health approach proved useful within the environmental health area with shoe leather field epidemiology, combined with statistical analysis and mathematical reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Polkowska
- Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33100 Tampere, Finland; (A.P.); (P.N.)
| | - Sirpa Räsänen
- Pirkanmaa Hospital District, 33520 Tampere, Finland;
| | - Pekka Nuorti
- Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33100 Tampere, Finland; (A.P.); (P.N.)
| | - Leena Maunula
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Katri Jalava
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-73-4224-7186
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Kobayashi D, Saito M, Heike Y, Yokota K, Arioka H, Oshitani H. The association between consuming bivalves, and acute gastroenteritis and norovirus in Tokyo, Japan. J Med Virol 2019; 91:986-996. [DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Kobayashi
- Department of VirologyTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendai Japan
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of MedicineSt. Luke's International Hospital Tokyo Japan
- Division of General Internal MedicineFujita Health University Toyoake Japan
| | - Mayuko Saito
- Department of VirologyTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendai Japan
| | - Yuji Heike
- Division of Joint Research and DevelopmentSt. Luke's International Hospital Tokyo Japan
| | - Kyoko Yokota
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of MedicineKagawa University Kagawa Japan
| | - Hiroko Arioka
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of MedicineSt. Luke's International Hospital Tokyo Japan
| | - Hitoshi Oshitani
- Department of VirologyTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineSendai Japan
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Abstract
A gastrointestinal outbreak was reported among 154 diners who attended a Christmas buffet on the 9 and 10 December 2016. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken. Faecal samples, water, ice and an air ventilation device were tested for indicators and routine pathogens. Altogether 26% (24/91) fulfilled the case definition of having typical viral gastrointestinal symptoms. Norovirus genogroup I was detected in faecal samples from three cases. One of these cases tested positive also for sapovirus and had a family member testing positive for both norovirus and sapovirus. A diner who drank water or drinks with ice cubes (risk ratios (RR) 6.5, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.5–113.0) or both (RR 8.2, 95% CI 1.7–145.5) had an increased risk in a dose-response manner. Ice cubes from three vending machines had high levels of heterotrophic bacteria. A faulty air ventilation valve in the space where the ice cube machine was located was considered a likely cause of this outbreak. Leaking air ventilation valves may represent a neglected route of transmission in viral gastrointestinal outbreaks.
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Abstract
Norovirus is the commonest cause of gastrointestinal disease worldwide in. Infections with norovirus occur in all age groups, however, the highest incidence is in children aged less than five years. Surveillance of norovirus is complicated because most people do not contact medical services when they are ill. Nevertheless, Public health laboratory surveillance worldwide has demonstrated the dominance of GII.4 viruses in the population. Better epidemiological surveillance and outbreak investigations, coupled with wider implementation of molecular-based laboratory diagnostics are leading to better estimates of the burden of norovirus infections as well as improved outbreak control. Recent advances in cell culture systems for norovirus and current research investigating the distribution of norovirus-associated disease in the population, for whom the disease burden is greatest, understanding host susceptibility factors, and methodologies for ascertaining cases, are important in increasing our understanding of norovirus. The key to surveillance of norovirus is allying the epidemiology with surveillance of virology. With recent advances in laboratory culture systems for norovirus, next generation sequencing technologies, improved diagnostics and measuring phenotypic characteristics of noroviruses, there are new opportunities to advance understanding of this common and important human pathogen that will help design strategies for vaccine and antiviral development, and how these might be best deployed to control norovirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Allen
- a Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology , Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine , London , UK.,c NIHR Heath Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections , Liverpool , UK
| | - John P Harris
- b Institute of Psychology Health and Society, Faculty of Health and Life Science, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK.,c NIHR Heath Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections , Liverpool , UK
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Basalamah MA, Elmadbouly MAE, Azzeh FS. Traceability in the Meal Production Chain of Hospitalized Patients: Safety and Hygienic Quality. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2018; 18:68-73. [DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2018.68.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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