Hepatitis A virus attachment to agri-food surfaces using immunological, virological and thermodynamic assays.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the ability of hepatitis A virus (HAV) to attach to various food contact surfaces.


RESULTS
HAV attachment was demonstrated after elution of attached viruses from solid surfaces by an immunofluorescent method using anti-HAV-specific antibodies and confocal microscopy. Attachment and survival of HAV on stainless steel, copper, polythene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) at 20 and 4 degrees C after 2 and 4 h were quantified by plaque assay. HAV was shown to attach almost instantaneously to all four surfaces tested. Attachment of HAV depended on initial viral concentration and was slightly greater at 4 degrees C. The total surface energy (gammaTOT), nonpolar Lifshitz-Van der Waals (gammaLW) and polar short range (gammaSR) hydrogen-bonding components for HAV and each surface as well as total free energy of the system were determined by contact angle measurements using an extended Young equation [Young (1805) Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society (London) 95, 65-87). The calculation of these parameters predicted the favourable conditions for attachment of HAV to all four surfaces tested.


CONCLUSIONS
HAV particles attach to stainless steel, copper, polythene and PVC at 20 and 4 degrees C and the total free energy of the interaction is optimal for this attachment.


CONCLUSIONS
Comprehension of viral attachment to the solid surfaces will permit to successfully disinfect these surfaces and to establish a better surveillance programme for control of viral food-borne illnesses.
Centre de Recherche STELA, Dèpartement des Sciences des Aliments et de Nutrition, Universitè Laval, Quèbec, Canada.
I
I
Kukavica-Ibrulj
A
A
Darveau
J
J
Jean
I
I
Fliss
D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005511:Food Handling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D013193:Stainless Steel; D003300:Copper; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride; D020959:Polyethylene