Norovirus News and Research

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Norovirus (formerly Norwalk agent) is an RNA virus (taxonomic family Caliciviridae) that causes approximately 90% of epidemic nonbacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the world, and may be responsible for 50% of all foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the United States.

Research shows ozone as a potential disinfectant agent in public transport

The Hydrens team of researchers developed a numerical model that estimates the ozone concentration needed to meet the disinfection criteria. To do this, it takes into account the geometry and volume of the space to be treated, the type of materials inside it and their capacity to absorb ozone, and the characteristics of the impulsion-distribution system used.

24 Sep 2021

DNA sensor can detect infectious viruses in minutes

A new sensor can detect not only whether a virus is present, but whether it's infectious – an important distinction for containing viral spread.

23 Sep 2021

The newest disease detection tool for covid and beyond: Poop

Since reopening campus at the University of California-San Diego last summer, university officials have relied on the tried-and-true public health strategies of testing and contact tracing. But they have also added a new tool to their arsenal: excrement.

16 Aug 2021

Rosin soap as a potential SARS-CoV-2 disinfectant

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Bell et al. (July 19th, 2021), the potential of rosin soap as a virucide is investigated, finding a ten-thousand-fold drop in infectivity against enveloped viruses such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 in particular.

26 Jul 2021

UMass Amherst Ph.D. candidate receives USDA-NIFA fellowship for food allergy research

University of Massachusetts Amherst food science Ph.D. candidate Cassandra Suther has received a prestigious predoctoral fellowship of $180,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) to study the effect of norovirus on the development and severity of food allergies.

23 Jul 2021

Human coronaviruses need organic materials to transfer efficiently between surfaces

This study, published in the journal Viruses, indicated that human coronaviruses do not transfer effectively from contaminated hands to contact surfaces without the presence of any organic material.

21 Jul 2021

Researchers isolate human monoclonal antibodies that may neutralize several norovirus variants

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, have taken a big step toward developing targeted treatments and vaccines against a family of viruses that attacks the gastrointestinal tract.

16 Jul 2021

Is liquid chalk an effective disinfectant of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses?

A recent study, published in the American Society for Microbiology’s journal, mSphere, evaluated the use of many liquid chalk products as antiseptics against the transmission of highly pathogenic human viruses such as influenza A virus (H1N1), SARS-CoV-2, (IAV), and norovirus in a mouse norovirus (MNV) model. The researchers applied chalk before or after virus inoculum and determined the recovery of infectious virus to mimic its use in the gym setting.

22 Jun 2021

Which vitamins and minerals help with COVID?

A study published in the journal Inflammopharmacology reviewed recent data related to the role of vitamins and minerals in treating COVID-19 patients. The primary goal of the review is to highlight the possible therapeutic role of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, and micronutrients as immunity boosters in COVID-19 patients.

18 Jun 2021

Natural products a rich source for novel antiviral compounds

In a recent review in the journal Viruses, researchers look at natural products that can be identified as potential alternative antiviral agents. The reviewers discussed the antiviral activities of several natural products towards DNA and RNA viruses with an analytical approach. The researchers detailed the cellular/viral targets of the active molecules and their impact on the infection and viral replication cycle.

10 May 2021

Public restrooms could serve as hotbeds for COVID-19 transmission

Flushing a toilet can generate large quantities of microbe-containing aerosols depending on the design, water pressure or flushing power of the toilet. A variety of pathogens are usually found in stagnant water as well as in urine, feces and vomit.

20 Apr 2021

Study: Norovirus clusters are resistant to detergent and ultraviolet disinfection

Clusters of a virus known to cause stomach flu are resistant to detergent and ultraviolet disinfection, according to new research co-led by Danmeng Shuai, Ph.D., an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the George Washington University and Nihal Altan-Bonnet, Ph.D., a senior investigator and the head of the Laboratory of Host-Pathogen Dynamics at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

16 Apr 2021

Could Zebrafish larvae be a novel animal model for SARS-CoV-2?

Researchers based in Paris, France, have explored the potential use of zebrafish larvae as animal models for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These larvae are small and cheap, so could prove a suitable medium for rapid mass testing of the disease.

13 Apr 2021

Microbiota modulation and re-establishment of eubiosis could help curb COVID-19 complications

In the paper published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, the researchers noted that since both the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal mucosa are affected in COVID-19, it is possible that adjunctive therapies that modulate the gut-lung axis.

18 Mar 2021

Chimeric vaccines may provide universal protection against viruses like SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the United States have developed “chimeric” vaccines that provided cross-protection against different strains of sarbecovirus in mice, including the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

15 Mar 2021

Analysis shows moderate evidence for SARS-CoV-2 recombination

Recently, a team of researchers from the US performed a comprehensive recombination analysis across all medically relevant human coronaviruses, including 158,118 public seasonal hCoV, SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV genome sequences with the help of the RDP4 software. They aimed at identifying the current and future risks of the emergence of recombinants of SARS-CoV-2

10 Mar 2021

Could rotavirus vaccine platforms aid in the immunization campaign against SARS-CoV-2?

The study began with the generation of recombinant (r)SA11 rotaviruses, into which segment 7 modified RNAs were introduced. These encoded sequences for the non-structural protein NSP3 and some parts of the viral spike.

23 Feb 2021

USDA, FDA highlight no credible evidence of COVID-19 transmission through food or food packaging

After more than a year since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was declared a global health emergency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to underscore that there is no credible evidence of food or food packaging associated with or as a likely source of viral transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID-19.

18 Feb 2021

New COVID-19 test uses a smartphone microscope to quickly analyze saliva samples

Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a COVID-19 testing method that uses a smartphone microscope to analyze saliva samples and deliver results in about 10 minutes.

29 Jan 2021

COVID-19 restrictions have led to 86 percent drop in norovirus infections in US, finds study

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the imposition of several non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) across the world. While citizens in the USA have been chafing over the advice to wear masks in public, restricted social interactions, and limited attendance at schools, colleges and workplaces, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020 reports that these NPIs were linked to a steep reduction in the incidence of the non-respiratory pathogen, noroviruses.

1 Dec 2020