ABSTRACT
Human norovirus [NoV] is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in closed settings such as hospitals, hotels and cruise ships. The virus survives on inanimate surfaces for extended periods of time, and environmental contamination has been implicated in its transmission. The disinfection of contaminated areas is important in controlling the spread of NoV infections. Neutral solutions of electrochemically activated [ECA]-anolyte have been shown to be powerful disinfectants against a broad range of bacterial pathogens. The active chemical ingredient is hypochlorous acid [HOCl], which is registered as an approved food contact surface sanitizer in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency, pursuant to 40 CFR 180.940. We evaluated the antiviral activity of Ecasol [an ECA-anolyte] against feline calicivirus [FCV], a surrogate of NoV. FCV dried on plastic surfaces was exposed to Ecasol for 1, 2, or 5 min. After exposure to Ecasol, the virus titers were compared with untreated controls to determine the virus inactivation efficacy after different contact times. Ecasol was found to decrease the FCV titer by >5 log[10] within 1 min of contact, indicating its suitability for inactivation of NoV on surfaces
ABSTRACT
As the scientific community scrambles to define the ancestry and lineages of the eight segments of new pandemic H1N1 strain, we looked for unique genetic events in this virus's genome to explain the newly found enhanced virulence and transmissibility among humans. Genome annotations of this virus identified a stop mutation replacing serine at codon 12 (S12Stop) of the PB1-F2 protein, a virulence factor in influenza A viruses. Here, we discuss the significance of this finding and how it may contribute to host specialization, explaining the virtual absence of the H1N1 influenza A virus strain in pig populations. This finding is expected to lead to a better understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis of the 2009 pandemic strain.