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Differential MS2 Interaction with Food Contact Surfaces Determined by Atomic Force Microscopy and Virus Recovery
J Shim1, D S Stewart2, A D Nikolov1
1Illinois Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|October 8, 2017
Summary
Foodborne viruses like MS2 coliphage adhere less to glass than PVC surfaces. Surfactants can reduce this adhesion, aiding in cleaning and preventing virus spread on food contact surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Food safety and microbiology
- Surface science and nanotechnology
- Virology
Background:
- Enteric viruses are a significant cause of foodborne illnesses in the U.S.
- Virus transmission frequently occurs via contaminated food contact surfaces.
- Understanding virus-surface interactions is crucial for developing effective decontamination strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the adhesion forces of a virus surrogate (MS2 coliphage) to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and glass surfaces.
- To compare virus adhesion and recovery rates on these common food preparation materials.
- To investigate the potential of surfactants in mitigating virus adhesion.
Main Methods:
- Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to measure direct virus-surface interaction forces.
- Virus recovery assays were performed to indirectly assess adhesion.
- MS2 coliphage was used as a surrogate for enteric viruses.
- Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was tested as a surfactant to reduce adhesion.
Main Results:
- MS2 coliphage exhibited significantly lower adhesion forces to glass (0.54 nN) compared to PVC (2.87 nN).
- Virus recovery assays corroborated AFM findings, showing 1.4-fold fewer PFU recovered from PVC than glass.
- Incorporating SDS surfactant reduced MS2 adhesion on PVC to near-zero forces and increased virus recovery by 19%.
Conclusions:
- Surface properties like porosity and chemical characteristics influence virus adhesion.
- Glass presents a less adhesive surface for MS2 coliphage compared to PVC.
- Surfactants offer a promising approach to reduce virus adhesion and enhance removal from food contact surfaces, thereby mitigating foodborne virus transmission.
