title: Evaluation of a Surface Sampling Method for Recovery of Human Noroviruses Prior to Detection Using Reverse Transcription Quantitative PCR.
abstract: Human noroviruses are the most common cause of acute viral gastroenteritis, and the environmental persistence of these viruses contributes to their transmissibility. Environmental sampling is thus an important tool for investigating norovirus outbreaks and for assessing the effectiveness of cleaning and decontamination regimens. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a sampling material (wipes) for their efficacy at recovering human norovirus from hard surfaces and foods. Dilutions of a human norovirus GII.4 stool specimen derived from an outbreak were applied to hard surfaces (stainless steel and ceramic) and the surfaces of representative foods (green pepper, apple, tomato, and cheese). The viruses were recovered at various times postinoculation using the wipes, followed by RNA extraction and reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Recovery efficiency ranged from 74% to almost 100% for all artificially inoculated hard surfaces and for most fresh produce surfaces. Less efficient recovery was observed for cheese. Viral RNA could be recovered from select surfaces for up to 7 days postinoculation, with a <1 log reduction in genome copy number. In field tests, 24 (11%) of 210 environmental samples collected during winter 2012 from restrooms in North Carolina were presumptively positive for human norovirus, and six of these samples were confirmed as GII.4 by sequencing. These wipes may be a valuable tool for investigations of norovirus outbreaks and studies of norovirus prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tung-Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Blanca I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Escudero-Abarca
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Janie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Outlaw
authors.affiliation: bioMerieux S.A., 5 rue des berges, 30024 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganee
authors.affiliation: bioMerieux S.A., 5 rue des berges, 30024 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Sylvanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cassard
authors.affiliation: bioMerieux S.A., 5 rue des berges, 30024 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mabilat
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Lee-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Jaykus
mesh_terms: D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D009657:North Carolina; D012367:RNA, Viral; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D048348:Reverse Transcription
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Norovirus; Sampling; Surfaces; Wipes