Category Archives: Food Virus

Cruise Ship – Norovirus – What you need to know.

Posted on January 13, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Cruise Critic

With cruise ship “outbreaks” regularly appearing in the news, awareness of Norovirus — an extremely common and highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis — has been significantly raised.
But before you reconsider that long-awaited cruise vacation because of gloom-and-doom reports on television and in your daily paper, know these facts:

  • Norovirus is not a “cruise ship” virus, nor does it limit itself to sea-going vessels.
  • Norovirus spreads swiftly wherever there are many people in a small area, including nursing homes, restaurants, hotels, dormitories … and cruise ships.
  • The common cold is the only illness more common, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that there are more than 20 million cases of Norovirus annually.
  • Norovirus is associated with cruise travel simply because health officials are required to track illnesses on ships (and are not at hotels and resorts); therefore, outbreaks are found and reported more quickly at sea than on land.

Here’s everything you need to know about Norovirus — and how to avoid getting sick on your next cruise vacation. See the link above.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Uncategorized, Virus

Singapore -SFA recalls live mussels from France due to presence of Norovirus

Posted on January 13, 2020 by | Leave a comment

CNA

 

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Saturday (Jan 11) that it has directed food specialist Classic Fine Foods to recall the Bouchot live mussels from France.

In a media release, SFA said that the European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed has issued a recall for the live mussels from Baie Du Mont-Saint-Michel Aop in France “due to the presence of a norovirus”.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Toxin, Food Virus, Norovirus, Uncategorized

Research – Inactivation of Murine Norovirus on Fruit and Vegetable Surfaces by Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted on January 12, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

ABSTRACT

Vapor phase hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can be utilized to inactivate murine norovirus (MNV), a surrogate of human norovirus, on surface areas. However, vapor phase H2O2 inactivation of virus on fruits and vegetables has not been characterized. In this study, MNV was used to determine whether vaporized H2O2 inactivates virus on surfaces of various fruits and vegetables (apples, blueberries, cucumbers, and strawberries). The effect of vapor phase H2O2 decontamination was investigated with two application systems. Plaque assays were performed after virus recovery from untreated and treated fresh produce to compare the quantity of infective MNV. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to the test results to evaluate the virus titer reductions of treated food samples, with significance set at P ≤ 0.05. The infective MNV populations were significantly reduced on smooth surfaces by 4.3 log PFU (apples, P < 0.00001) and 4 log PFU or below the detection limit (blueberries, P = 0.0074) by treatment with vapor phase H2O2 (60 min, maximum of 214 ppm of H2O2). Similar treatments of artificially contaminated cucumbers resulted in a virus titer reduction of 1.9 log PFU. Treatment of inoculated strawberries resulted in 0.1- and 2.8-log reductions of MNV. However, MNV reduction rates on cucumbers (P = 0.3809) and strawberries (P = 0,7414) were not significant. Triangle tests and color measurements of untreated and treated apples, cucumbers, blueberries, and strawberries revealed no differences in color and consistency after H2O2 treatment. No increase of the H2O2 concentration in treated fruits and vegetables compared with untreated produce was observed. This study reveals for the first time the conditions under which vapor phase H2O2 inactivates MNV on selected fresh fruit and vegetable surfaces.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Produce was treated with vapor phase H2O2 for 60 min (maximum of 260 ppm of H2O2).

  • A 4-log reduction in MNV was achieved by H2O2 treatment on apples and blueberries.

  • Reductions of MNV on treated strawberries and cucumbers were not significant.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Food Virus, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Norovirus, Research, Technology, Uncategorized, Virus

RASFF Alerts – Norovirus – Foodborne Outbreak – Live Oysters –

Posted on January 10, 2020 by | Leave a comment

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – foodborne outbreak suspected to be caused by live oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from France

RASFF – foodborne outbreak suspected to be caused by live oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from France

RASFF – foodborne outbreak caused by live oysters from France, via the Netherlands in Sweden

RASFF – norovirus in live mussels from France in Switzerland

RASFF – norovirus in live bouchot mussels from France in the Netherlands

RASFF – norovirus in oysters from France in the Netherlands

RASFF – withdrawal of bivalve molluscs harvested in France because of possible contamination with norovirus in Luxembourg

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Norovirus, outbreak, RASFF, Uncategorized, Virus

France – Hundreds ill in France after eating contaminated raw shellfish – Noroviurs?

Posted on January 10, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

More than 650 people have fallen ill in France this past month after eating contaminated raw shellfish.

Since the start of December 2019, Santé publique France has received 123 reports of collective food poisoning suspected to be linked to consumption of raw shellfish, mainly oysters.

The majority, 87 of the 123 alerts, occurred from Dec. 23, 2019, and forward. A peak of illnesses hit from December 25 to 27.

A total of 668 people were sick and 17 needed hospital treatment. Most are more than 15 years old. Of the 415 patients with age information available, 15 were younger than 15.

Much higher than recent years
Symptoms, mainly diarrhea and vomiting, as well as incubation times, are consistent with norovirus or other enteric virus infections. Stool tests have confirmed the presence of these viruses. Symptoms of norovirus appear one to two days after being infected and typically last for two or three days.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Toxin, Food Virus, Norovirus, Uncategorized, Virus

USA – Death by Norovirus tied to Puritan Backroom in New Hampshire

Posted on January 2, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has determined that norovirus was a contributing cause of death in the person who passed away after attending an event at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, New Hampshire, on November 24, 2019. The OCME completed its final report today after conducting an autopsy last month.

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Posted in food contamination, food death, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Uncategorized, Virus

Research – Infectivity of Norovirus GI and GII from Bottled Mineral Water during a Waterborne Outbreak, Spain

Posted on December 29, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

During a waterborne outbreak of norovirus in Spain, we estimated 50% illness doses for a group of exposed (secretor) persons to be 556 (95% CI 319–957) genome copies/day for norovirus GI and 2,934 (95% CI 1,683–5,044) genome copies/day for norovirus GII. Use of a propidium monoazide viability assay reduced these values.

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Posted in Contaminated water, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, Research, Uncategorized, Virus, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Evaluation of Inactivation of Murine Norovirus in Inoculated Shell Oysters by High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment

Posted on December 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

ABSTRACT

One of the major foods causing norovirus gastroenteritis is bivalve shellfish, such as oysters. Depuration and relaying methods have been used to control norovirus. However, these methods may be inadequate to control norovirus gastroenteritis. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment in controlling norovirus in shelled oysters, by evaluating the inactivating effect of HHP on murine norovirus strain 1 (MNV-1) inoculated into a buffer, oyster homogenate, and shelled oysters. First, MNV-1 was inoculated (infectivity of 4.5 log PFU/mL) into the buffer and oyster homogenate, with a pH of 6.3 and salinity (NaCl) of 1.5%, mimicking the habitats of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). HHP treatment at 100, 200, 275, and 300 MPa for 2 and 5 min was conducted at an initial temperature of 0 or 5°C. The infectivity of MNV-1 in both the buffer and the oyster homogenate was lower when the initial temperature was 0°C. In the buffer, the infectivity of MNV-1 decreased to 1.8 log PFU/mL after HHP treatment (200 MPa for 5 min at 0°C), and the inactivating effect was higher in the buffer than in the oyster homogenate. MNV-1 was inoculated into shelled oysters (4.8 log PFU per oyster), and HHP treatment was done at 275, 300, and 350 MPa for 5 min at the initial temperature of 0°C. The infectivity of MNV-1 decreased to 2.8 log PFU per oyster after HHP treatment at 275 MPa for 5 min. The results indicate that the inactivating effect of HHP treatment varies, depending on the medium surrounding the viral particles. Inactivation was best in buffer, followed by oyster homogenate and shelled oysters. The data could inform the development of methods to control norovirus in oysters.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • HHP inactivation of MNV-1 was more pronounced at 0°C than at 5°C.

  • Inactivation differed, depending on the medium surrounding the virus.

  • HHP at 275 MPa for 5 min at 0°C inactivated MNV-1 inoculated in shucked oysters.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Food Virus, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Norovirus, Research, Technology, Uncategorized, Virus

RASFF Alert – Norovirus – Chilled Pacific Oysters

Posted on December 13, 2019 by | Leave a comment

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – norovirus (presence /2g) in chilled Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from France in Italy

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, RASFF, Uncategorized, Virus

Research – Preventative care: Increasing Hepatitis A vaccinations among food service workers

Posted on December 12, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News 

Thesis: Over the past three years, there has been an ongoing outbreak of Hepatitis A in the United States although it is the only foodborne disease that has a vaccination. Mandating vaccinations to food service workers is essential to reduce the spread of Hepatitis A, especially since outbreaks involving food handlers are in the public eye. 

Background & Analysis: It is estimated that in the United States alone there are 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually. Out of these 48 million, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 people die. The CDC recommends to the general public that the best way to prevent Hepatitis A is through vaccination, but not have explicitly stated that food service workers should be administered the vaccination. While food service workers are not traditionally designated as having an increased risk of Hepatitis A transmission, they are not free from risk. Additionally, 24% of Hepatitis A cases are asymptomatic which means a food-handler carrying the virus can unknowingly transmit the disease to a consumer. Historically, when an outbreak occurs local health departments start administering the vaccine for free or at a reduced cost. The funding from these vaccinations is through taxpayer dollars. 

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Posted in food handler, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Virus, Hand Washing, Hepatitis A, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Uncategorized, Virus