scholarly journals Human Coronaviruses Do Not Transfer Efficiently between Surfaces in the Absence of Organic Materials

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1352
Author(s):  
Matthew Dallner ◽  
Jennifer Harlow ◽  
Neda Nasheri
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Murine Norovirus ◽  
Fecal Material ◽  
Human Coronavirus ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Human Coronaviruses ◽  
Means Of Transmission ◽  
Respiratory Droplets

Human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, are known to spread mainly via close contact and respiratory droplets. However, other potential means of transmission may be present. Fomite-mediated transmission occurs when viruses are deposited onto a surface and then transfer to a subsequent individual. Surfaces can become contaminated directly from respiratory droplets or from a contaminated hand. Due to mask mandates in many countries around the world, the former is less likely. Hands can become contaminated if respiratory droplets are deposited on them (i.e., coughing or sneezing) or through contact with fecal material where human coronaviruses (HCoVs) can be shed. The focus of this paper is on whether human coronaviruses can transfer efficiently from contaminated hands to food or food contact surfaces. The surfaces chosen were: stainless steel, plastic, cucumber and apple. Transfer was first tested with cellular maintenance media and three viruses: two human coronaviruses, 229E and OC43, and murine norovirus-1, as a surrogate for human norovirus. There was no transfer for either of the human coronaviruses to any of the surfaces. Murine norovirus-1 did transfer to stainless steel, cucumber and apple, with transfer efficiencies of 9.19%, 5.95% and 0.329%, respectively. Human coronavirus OC43 transfer was then tested in the presence of fecal material, and transfer was observed for stainless steel (0.52%), cucumber (19.82%) and apple (15.51%) but not plastic. This study indicates that human coronaviruses do not transfer effectively from contaminated hands to contact surfaces without the presence of fecal material.

scholarly journals Removal and Transfer of Viruses on Food Contact Surfaces by Cleaning Cloths

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 3037-3044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen E. Gibson ◽  
Philip G. Crandall ◽  
Steven C. Ricke
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Solid Surface ◽  
Stainless Steel Surface ◽  
Murine Norovirus ◽  
Indirect Transmission ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nonwoven Cloth ◽  
Contact Surfaces

ABSTRACTContamination of food contact surfaces with pathogens is considered an important vehicle for the indirect transmission of food-borne diseases. Five different cleaning cloths were assessed for the ability to remove viruses from food contact surfaces (stainless steel surface and nonporous solid surface) and to transfer viruses back to these surfaces. Cleaning cloths evaluated include two different cellulose/cotton cloths, one microfiber cloth, one nonwoven cloth, and one cotton terry bar towel. Four viral surrogates (murine norovirus [MNV], feline calicivirus [FCV], bacteriophages PRD1 and MS2) were included. Removal of FCV from stainless steel was significantly greater (P≤ 0.05) than that from nonporous solid surface, and overall removal of MNV from both surfaces was significantly less (P≤ 0.05) than that of FCV and PRD1. Additionally, the terry towel removed significantly fewer total viruses (P≤ 0.05) than the microfiber and one of the cotton/cellulose cloths. The cleaning cloth experiments were repeated with human norovirus. For transfer of viruses from cloth to surface, both cellulose/cotton cloths and microfiber transferred an average of 3.4 and 8.5 total PFU, respectively, to both surfaces, and the amounts transferred were significantly different (P≤ 0.05) from those for the nonwoven cloth and terry towel (309 and 331 total PFU, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference (P> 0.05) in the amount of virus transfer between surfaces. These data indicate that while the cleaning cloths assessed here can remove viruses from surfaces, some cloths may also transfer a significant amount of viruses back to food contact surfaces.

Chlorine Treatment To Inactivate Norovirus on Food Contact Surfaces

2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 184-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEOK-WON KIM ◽  
SEUNG-BUM BAEK ◽  
JI-HYOUNG HA ◽  
MIN HWA LEE ◽  
CHANGSUN CHOI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Polynomial Equation ◽  
Murine Norovirus ◽  
Minimum Concentration ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Steel Surfaces ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Central Composite

This study was conducted to determine the concentration and optimal treatment time of chlorine for reducing feline calicivirus (FCV) and murine norovirus (MNV) as surrogates of norovirus (NoV) on stainless steel surfaces and to develop a predictive inactivation method using a response surface methodology. The reduction levels of FCV VR-782 and MNV on stainless steel surfaces after treatment with various concentrations of chlorine (0 to 5,000 ppm) for various times (0 to 5 min) were measured. The reduction values of both FCV and MNV on stainless steel surfaces after 5,000 ppm of chlorine treatment for 5 min were 5.20 TCID50 per coupon. The predictive results obtained by central composite design were analyzed by standard analysis of variance. The application of multiple regression analysis was related to the following polynomial equations: (i) and (ii) . It was concluded that these polynomial equation models of reduction of FCV and MNV could be used to determine the minimum concentration of chlorine and exposure times to control human NoV on food contact surfaces.

Tenacity of Human Norovirus and the Surrogates Feline Calicivirus and Murine Norovirus during Long-Term Storage on Common Nonporous Food Contact Surfaces

2015 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 224-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
SASCHA MORMANN ◽  
CATHRIN HEIßENBERG ◽  
JENS PFANNEBECKER ◽  
BARBARA BECKER
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Plaque Assay ◽  
Feline Calicivirus ◽  
Murine Norovirus ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Human Norovirus ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Contact Surfaces

The transfer of human norovirus (hNV) to food via contaminated surfaces is highly probable during food production, processing, and preparation. In this study, the tenacity of hNV and its cultivable surrogates feline calicivirus (FCV) and murine norovirus (MNV) on two common nonporous surface materials at two storage temperatures was directly compared. Virus titer reduction on artificially inoculated stainless steel and plastic carriers was monitored for 70 days at room temperature and at 7°C. Viruses were recovered at various time points by elution. Genomes from intact capsids (hNV, FCV, and MNV) were quantified with real-time reverse transcription (RT) PCR, and infectivity (FCV and MNV) was assessed with plaque assay. RNase treatment before RNA extraction was used to eliminate exposed RNA and to assess capsid integrity. No significant differences in titer reduction were found between materials (stainless steel or plastic) with the plaque assay or the real-time quantitative RT-PCR. At room temperature, infectious FCV and MNV were detected for 7 days. Titers of intact hNV, FCV, and MNV capsids dropped gradually and were still detectable after 70 days with a loss of 3 to 4 log units. At 7°C, the viruses were considerably more stable than they were at room temperature. Although only MNV infectivity was unchanged after 70 days, the numbers of intact capsids (hNV, FCV, and MNV) were stable with less than a 1-log reduction. The results indicate that hNV persists on food contact surfaces and seems to remain infective for weeks. MNV appears to be more stable than FCV at 7°C, and thus is the most suitable surrogate for hNV under dry conditions. Although a perfect quantitative correlation between intact capsids and infective particles was not obtained, real-time quantitative RT-PCR provided qualitative data about hNV inactivation characteristics. The results of this comparative study might support future efforts in assessment of foodborne virus risk and food safety.

scholarly journals Questioning COVID-19 Surface Stability and Fomite Spreading in Three Aeromedical Cases: A Case Series

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Horoho ◽  
Stephen Musik ◽  
David Bryant ◽  
William Brooks ◽  
Ian M Porter
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Posture Analysis ◽  
Surface Stability ◽  
Single Positive ◽  
Means Of Transmission ◽  
Respiratory Droplets

ABSTRACT It is well established that coronavirus disease 2019 is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets, and there is mounting research speculation that it may also be transmitted via fomites. Several studies have shown that the virus can persist on both porous and nonporous surfaces for hours to days, depending upon the material. This article examines three cases of polymerase chain reaction–proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection with several additional individuals meeting CDC close contact criteria. In 1 case, 195 downstream contacts were all tested to prevent a mass outbreak in a deployment posture. Analysis of these contacts yielded only a single positive test, which could be reasonably ascribed to respiratory droplet transmission. While these cases and their contacts ultimately represent a small sample size, we suggest fomite spread may not be a significant means of transmission for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in real-world operational scenarios.

Control of Listeria innocua Biofilms on Food Contact Surfaces with Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water and the Risk of Biofilm Cells Transfer to Duck Meat

2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 582-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
HYE RI JEON ◽  
MI JIN KWON ◽  
KI SUN YOON
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Listeria Innocua ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Electrolyzed Water ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Contact Surfaces

ABSTRACT Biofilm formation on food contact surfaces is a potential hazard leading to cross-contamination during food processing. We investigated Listeria innocua biofilm formation on various food contact surfaces and compared the washing effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) at 30, 50, 70, and 120 ppm with that of 200 ppm of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) on biofilm cells. The risk of L. innocua biofilm transfer and growth on food at retail markets was also investigated. The viability of biofilms that formed on food contact surfaces and then transferred cells to duck meat was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. L. innocua biofilm formation was greatest on rubber, followed by polypropylene, glass, and stainless steel. Regardless of sanitizer type, washing removed biofilms from polypropylene and stainless steel better than from rubber and glass. Among the various SAEW concentrations, washing with 70 ppm of SAEW for 5 min significantly reduced L. innocua biofilms on food contact surfaces during food processing. Efficiency of transfer of L. innocua biofilm cells was the highest on polypropylene and lowest on stainless steel. The transferred biofilm cells grew to the maximum population density, and the lag time of transferred biofilm cells was longer than that of planktonic cells. The biofilm cells that transferred to duck meat coexisted with live, injured, and dead cells, which indicates that effective washing is essential to remove biofilm on food contact surfaces during food processing to reduce the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks.

Concentration and Detection of Caliciviruses from Food Contact Surfaces

2002 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 999-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANIL TAKU ◽  
BALDEV R. GULATI ◽  
PAUL B. ALLWOOD ◽  
KERRIN PALAZZI ◽  
CRAIG W. HEDBERG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Contact Period ◽  
Norwalk Virus ◽  
Buffer Solution ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Elution Method

Outbreaks of human Norwalk virus (NV) and Norwalk-like viruses often originate in food service establishments. No reliable method is available for the detection of these human caliciviruses on food contact surfaces. We describe a simple method for the detection of NV from stainless steel work surfaces using cultivable feline calicivirus (FCV) as a model. Stainless steel surfaces were artificially contaminated with known amounts of FCV, followed by its elution in a buffer solution. Three methods of virus elution were compared. In the first method, moistened cotton swabs or pieces of nylon filter (1MDS) were used to elute the contaminating virus. The second method consisted of flooding the contaminated surface with eluting buffer, allowing it to stay in contact for 15 min, followed by aspiration of the buffer (aspiration method) after a contact period of 15 min. The third method, the scraping-aspiration method, was similar to the aspiration method, except that the surfaces were scraped with a cell scraper before buffer aspiration. Maximum virus recovery (32 to 71%) was obtained with the scraping-aspiration method using 0.05 M glycine buffer at pH 6.5. Two methods (organic flocculation and filter adsorption elution) were compared to reduce the volume of the eluate recovered from larger surfaces. The organic flocculation method gave an average overall recovery of 55% compared to the filter-adsorption-elution method, which yielded an average recovery of only 8%. The newly developed method was validated for the detection of NV by artificial contamination of 929-cm2 stainless steel sheets with NV-positive stool samples and for the detection of the recovered virus by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction.

Inhibition of Initial Attachment of Injured Salmonella Typhimurium onto Abiotic Surfaces

2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woo-Ju Kim ◽  
Ki-Ok Jeong ◽  
Dong-Hyun Kang
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Peroxide ◽  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Salmonella Typhimurium ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Abiotic Surfaces ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Biofilm Development

ABSTRACT Following sanitation interventions in food processing facilities, sublethally injured bacterial cells can remain on food contact surfaces. We investigated whether injured Salmonella Typhimurium cells can attach onto abiotic surfaces, which is the initial stage for further biofilm development. We utilized heat, UV, hydrogen peroxide, and lactic acid treatments, which are widely utilized by the food industry. Our results showed that heat, UV, and hydrogen peroxide did not effectively change populations of attached Salmonella Typhimurium. Cells treated with hydrogen peroxide had a slightly higher tendency to adhere to abiotic surfaces, although there was no significant difference between the populations of control and hydrogen peroxide–treated cells. However, lactic acid effectively reduced the number of Salmonella Typhimurium cells attached to stainless steel. We also compared physicochemical changes of Salmonella Typhimurium after application of lactic acid and used hydrogen peroxide as a positive control because only lactic acid showed a decreased tendency for attachment and hydrogen peroxide induced slightly higher numbers of attached bacteria cells. Extracellular polymeric substance produced by Salmonella Typhimurium was not detected in any treatment. Significant differences in hydrophobicity were not observed. Surface charges of cell membranes did not show relevant correlation with numbers of attached cells, whereas autoaggregation showed a positive correlation with attachment to stainless steel. Our results highlight that when lactic acid is applied in a food processing facility, it can effectively interfere with adhesion of injured Salmonella Typhimurium cells onto food contact surfaces.

Simple, Accurate Method for Evaluating the Amount of Fat and Protein Residue on a Food Contact Surface1,2

1984 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 762-764
Author(s):  
H. E. HUFF ◽  
M. E. ANDERSON ◽  
R. T. MARSHALL
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Recovery Rate ◽  
Gravimetric Method ◽  
Accurate Method ◽  
Food Grade ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Pork Fat

The objective of this research was to evaluate a method for quantitatively removing pork fat and blood plasma from different food contact surfaces - glass, stainless steel, plastic and food grade belting. Two studies were conducted. In the first study, a mass balance procedure was used to determine whether the developed method could remove virtually all the fat or protein placed on stainless steel and glass. In the second study, a gravimetric method was used to verify that the amount of fat on test strips could be harvested and quantified as residue. A recovery rate of from 98% or 100% was achieved for the different types of food contact surfaces.

scholarly journals Inactivation Kinetics and Mechanism of a Human Norovirus Surrogate on Stainless Steel Coupons via Chlorine Dioxide Gas

2015 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Wei Yeap ◽  
Simran Kaur ◽  
Fangfei Lou ◽  
Erin DiCaprio ◽  
Mark Morgan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Chlorine Dioxide ◽  
Plaque Assay ◽  
Kinetics And Mechanism ◽  
Inactivation Kinetics ◽  
Human Norovirus ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Contact Surfaces

ABSTRACTAcute gastroenteritis caused by human norovirus is a significant public health issue. Fresh produce and seafood are examples of high-risk foods associated with norovirus outbreaks. Food contact surfaces also have the potential to harbor noroviruses if exposed to fecal contamination, aerosolized vomitus, or infected food handlers. Currently, there is no effective measure to decontaminate norovirus on food contact surfaces. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas is a strong oxidizer and is used as a decontaminating agent in food processing plants. The objective of this study was to determine the kinetics and mechanism of ClO2gas inactivation of a norovirus surrogate, murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1), on stainless steel (SS) coupons. MNV-1 was inoculated on SS coupons at the concentration of 107PFU/coupon. The samples were treated with ClO2gas at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 4 mg/liter for up to 5 min at 25°C and a relative humidity of 85%, and virus survival was determined by plaque assay. Treatment of the SS coupons with ClO2gas at 2 mg/liter for 5 min and 2.5 mg/liter for 2 min resulted in at least a 3-log reduction in MNV-1, while no infectious virus was recovered at a concentration of 4 mg/liter even within 1 min of treatment. Furthermore, it was found that the mechanism of ClO2gas inactivation included degradation of viral protein, disruption of viral structure, and degradation of viral genomic RNA. In conclusion, treatment with ClO2gas can serve as an effective method to inactivate a human norovirus surrogate on SS contact surfaces.

scholarly journals Efficacy and Mechanisms of Murine Norovirus Inhibition by Pulsed-Light Technology

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 2950-2957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Vimont ◽  
Ismaïl Fliss ◽  
Julie Jean
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Hard Water ◽  
Murine Norovirus ◽  
Pulsed Light ◽  
Rna Integrity ◽  
Nonthermal Processing ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Broadband Spectrum ◽  
Alternative Means

ABSTRACTPulsed light is a nonthermal processing technology recognized by the FDA for killing microorganisms on food surfaces, with cumulative fluences up to 12 J cm−2. In this study, we investigated its efficacy for inactivating murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1) as a human norovirus surrogate in phosphate-buffered saline, hard water, mineral water, turbid water, and sewage treatment effluent and on food contact surfaces, including high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and stainless steel, free or in an alginate matrix. The pulsed-light device emitted a broadband spectrum (200 to 1,000 nm) at a fluence of 0.67 J cm−2per pulse, with 2% UV at 8 cm beneath the lamp. Reductions in viral infectivity exceeded 3 log10in less than 3 s (5 pulses; 3.45 J cm−2) in clear suspensions and on clean surfaces, even in the presence of alginate, and in 6 s (11 pulses; 7.60 J cm−2) on fouled surfaces except for stainless steel (2.6 log10). The presence of protein or bentonite interfered with viral inactivation. Analysis of the morphology, the viral proteins, and the RNA integrity of treated MNV-1 allowed us to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the antiviral activity of pulsed light. Pulsed light appeared to disrupt MNV-1 structure and degrade viral protein and RNA. The results suggest that pulsed-light technology could provide an effective alternative means of inactivating noroviruses in wastewaters, in clear beverages, in drinking water, or on food-handling surfaces in the presence or absence of biofilms.

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