title: Assessment of norovirus contamination in environmental samples from Florianópolis City, Southern Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess norovirus (NoV) contamination in aquatic ecosystems in the city of Florianópolis, in Southern Brazil, to provide epidemiological data that can support actions for environmental contamination control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An adsorption-elution method, followed by ultrafiltration, was performed to concentrate the viruses. NoV were detected using semi-nested PCR and quantified by real-time PCR. From June 2007 to May 2008, NoV were detected in 23% (22/94) of the samples analysed, including seawater, drinking water, superficial water (creek and brackish lagoon) and treated sewage. The mean viral loads for genogroups (G)I and GII in treated sewage samples were 297 and 440 genomic copies (gc) l(-1) , respectively, whereas creek water samples contained 2603 and 1361 gc l(-1) , respectively. Six samples were sequenced: two samples were GII.4, two were GII.2 and two were GI.3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NoV were detected in all water types analysed, demonstrating the widespread contamination of this geographical area with several cocirculating strains belonging to GI and GII.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates the environmental spread of NoV in environmental waters and highlights the potential hazard for human health following the consumption of or contact with these waters, which could result in waterborne or foodborne acute gastroenteritis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Comparative and Environmental Virology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. matias@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Victoria
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rigotto
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moresco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Abreu Corrêa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kolesnikovas
authors.forename: J P G
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Miagostovich
authors.forename: C R M
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Barardi
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000821:virology; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012623:Seawater / Q000821:virology; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012722:Sewage / Q000821:virology; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D012722:Sewage