Evaluation of a Decontamination Technology for Norovirus
Konstance K. Knox, PhD
Donald R. Carrigan, PhD
April 23, 2007
Wisconsin Viral Research Group
10437 Innovation Drive
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Background
Norwalk-like viruses (NLV) (genus norovirus) are the major cause of non-bacterial outbreaks of gastrointestinal
disease in the United States and Europe with the most frequent occurrences being seen in hotels (1) and aboard
cruise ships (2,3). Clinical manifestations of NLV infections include a sudden onset of nausea with projectile
vomiting and watery diarrhea with the illness resolving within 72 hours. Usually the infection is self-limited,
but elderly people, young children and individuals with impaired immune responses are subject to potentially
severe complications due to dehydration and electrolyte disturbances.
NLV infections are most commonly transmitted by contaminated food and water (2,3) but the recurrent outbreaks
that have been documented on cruise ships strongly suggest that transmission can also be associated with
environmental contamination (3). In sites of a previous NLV outbreak, NLV RNA can be detected in carpets,
bathroom fixtures, walls and cabinetry (1). Also, studies have demonstrated that infectious NLV can persist on
fomites such as telephone handsets, computer mouse and keyboards, and metal surfaces for at least 7 days
(4,5,6), and transmission from contaminated surfaces to food has been experimentally documented (5).
As could be expected given the potential public health and economic ramifications of norovirus associated
disease outbreaks, numerous methods of viral decontamination have been described. These include to treatment of
environmental surfaces with various kinds of chemicals such as quaternary ammonium (7), sodium bicarbonate (8),
various types of alcohols (9,10,11), different formulations of chlorine or sodium hypochlorite (12,13,14), ozone
(15) and both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation (16,17). In general, all of the methods described some varying
degrees of efficacy, but most suffer from the impracticality of their general application to large areas such as
hotel or cruise ship staterooms.
In the studies proposed here, we will use tissue culture based procedures to assess a new decontamination
technology for its ability to inactivate noroviruses. This technology is easily applicable to large areas
containing a variety of potentially contaminated surfaces.
The human noroviruses, including the Norwalk agent, are unable to be grown in tissue culture (18). Therefore, we
will use a well established, veterinary surrogate virus for the human noroviruses, namely feline calicivirus
(FCV) (19). Virtually all of the studies involving the inactivation of noroviruses cited above utilized FCV
(6-1), the use of surrogate viruses in the study of virucidal compounds is well accepted (20,21) and the use of
FCV as a surrogate for the human noroviruses is endorsed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) (22).
Outline of Proposed Studies
The proposed timeline for the project can be summarized as follows:
- As recommended by the EPA, the Crandel Reese Feline Kidney (CRFK) line of epithelial cells will be obtained
from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) [Manassas, Virginia] (ATCC VR-782) and established in our
laboratory.
- Once the CRFK cells are well established, the F9 strain of FCV (also recommended by the EPA) will be
obtained from the ATCC (ATCC CCL-94) and used to prepare a high titered virus stock. This stock will be
aliquoted and frozen at -70oC.
- The virus stock be titrated using the CRFK cells by a standard plaque forming unit (PFU) assay. A detailed
PFU assay using CRFK cells and the F9 strain of FCV has been published (23). In that report, which utilized
materials and procedures identical to the ones that we will use, titers of FCV in several different stocks
ranged from 1. 6 X 108 to 4. 4 X 108 PFU per milliliter (ml) of culture medium.
- For assessment of the virucidal potential of the technology, the EPA guidelines will be followed (22). In
brief, 0.2 ml of virus stock will be added to replicate 100 X 20 mm sterile Petri dishes. The liquid will then
be spread evenly across the dish surface with a cell scraper and allowed to dry, for 30 to 60 minutes forming a
"virus film".
- Replicate "virus films" will then be exposed to the viral inactivation technology for various lengths of
time and at various intensities. Untreated "virus films" will serve as controls.
- Following exposure to the virucidal treatment, two mil of tissue culture medium will be added to each dish
and incubated at 37oC for one hour. The concentration of infectious virus in each sample will then be evaluated
by means of the PFU assay.
- The efficacy of the viral inactivation procedure will be evaluated by quantitatively comparing the treated
materials to the untreated controls.
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URL:
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