e Human norovirus (NoV) is responsible for over 90% of outbreaks of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and accounts for 60% of cases of foodborne illness in the United States. Currently, the infectivity of human NoVs is poorly understood due to the lack of a cell culture system. In this study, we determined the survival of a human NoV genogroup II, genotype 4 (GII.4) strain in seeded oyster homogenates after high-pressure processing (HPP) using a novel receptor binding assay and a gnotobiotic pig model. Pressure conditions of 350 MPa at 0°C for 2 min led to a 3.7-log 10 reduction in the number of viral RNA copies in oysters, as measured by the porcine gastric mucin-conjugated magnetic bead (PGM-MB) binding assay and real-time RT-PCR, whereas pressure conditions of 350 MPa at 35°C for 2 min achieved only a 1-log 10 reduction in the number of RNA copies. Newborn gnotobiotic piglets orally fed oyster homogenate treated at 350 MPa and 0°C for 2 min did not have viral RNA shedding in feces, histologic lesions, or viral replication in the small intestine. In contrast, gnotobiotic piglets fed oysters treated at 350 MPa and 35°C for 2 min had high levels of viral shedding in feces and exhibited significant histologic lesions and viral replication in the small intestine. Collectively, these data demonstrate that (i) human NoV survival estimated by an in vitro PGM-MB virus binding assay is consistent with the infectivity determined by an in vivo gnotobiotic piglet model and (ii) HPP is capable of inactivating a human NoV GII.4 strain at commercially acceptable pressure levels.
Human norovirus (NoV), a member of the Caliciviridae family, is responsible for over 90% of the outbreaks of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and accounts for more than 60% of the cases of foodborne illness in the United States (1, 2). It is estimated that 48 million individuals, or about 17% of the U.S. population, are sickened each year, leading to approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 fatalities in the United States (2). Human NoV is transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route either by direct person-to-person contact or by fecally contaminated food or water. Human NoV is highly contagious and stable, and only a few virus particles are thought to be sufficient to cause an infection (3, 4). Outbreaks frequently occur in restaurants, hotels, day care centers, schools, nursing homes, cruise ships, swimming pools, hospitals, and military installations. Despite the significant economic impact and high morbidity caused by human NoV, no vaccines or antiviral drugs with activity against this virus are currently available (5, 6). This is due in large part to the lack of a cell culture system and a small-animal model for human NoV (6, 7). As a consequence, the survival of human NoV is poorly understood.A major high-risk food for human NoV contamination is seafood, particularly bivalves, such as oysters, mussels, and clams (8-11). These animals are filter feeders and can readily bioaccumulate human NoV in their tissue...