Environmental persistence and transfer of enteric viruses

Area of Science:

• Environmental Microbiology
• Virology
• Public Health

Background:

• Non-enveloped enteric viruses, including Human Norovirus (HuNo) and Hepatitis A Virus (HAV), are significant causes of human illness.
• These viruses are primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route, posing risks to food and water safety.
• Prolonged outbreaks are often linked to the viruses' resilience in various environmental settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize current knowledge on factors influencing enteric virus transfer and persistence.
• To provide insights for improved risk assessment and mitigation strategies for food-borne and water-borne viral diseases.
• To support the development of accurate transmission models for enteric viruses.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent publications on enteric virus environmental properties.
• Analysis of factors affecting virus survival, transfer, and inactivation in diverse environments.
• Synthesis of data relevant to food, water, and surface contamination.

Main Results:

• Enteric viruses exhibit significant survival capabilities on environmental surfaces, in food matrices, and in water.
• Environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pH, organic matter) critically impact virus persistence and infectivity.
• Understanding virus transfer mechanisms is crucial for predicting contamination spread.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge of enteric virus environmental behavior is essential for effective public health interventions.
• This review highlights the need for continued research into virus-surface, virus-food, and virus-water interactions.
• Informed risk assessment and targeted control measures can mitigate the impact of enteric virus outbreaks.