Food and Environmental Virology最新文献

{"title":"Optimization of a Semi-nested PCR Protocol for Amplifying the Entire Spike Protein Region to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Wastewater","authors":"Akihiko Hata,&nbsp;Meiko Shimomaki,&nbsp;Hiroya Kamoshida,&nbsp;Ryo Honda","doi":"10.1007/s12560-026-09680-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-026-09680-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Wastewater-based monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens is a widely adopted tool for assessing epidemic dynamics. While quantitative assays are commonly used to estimate infection levels in catchment populations, phylogenetic information—such as identifying circulating variants—is also crucial for public health. However, applying the widely used ARTIC protocol for full-genome sequencing to wastewater samples has proven challenging, likely due to the limited specificity and sensitivity of multiplex RT-PCR in such complex matrices. In this study, we developed and optimized a semi-nested RT-PCR assay targeting the full S-protein coding region (~4000 bases) for phylogenetic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. By reducing multiplexing and using single-plex reactions for both RT and PCR steps, we successfully amplified ~2000 bp fragments. Amplicons were sequenced using the Flongle Flow Cell platform. The optimized method—consisting of reverse transcription with specific primers followed by three parallel single-plex semi-nested PCRs—yielded over 1,000 SARS-CoV-2-like reads per primer set in 30 out of 39 wastewater samples in treatment plants in Japan, including those with &lt;10 copies per analyte. Variant proportions were estimated using a newly developed approach based on single-nucleotide variant pattern matrix, revealing the presence of multiple co-circulating variants, including XBB lineages, JN.1, and notably BA.2.75, which was undetected in domestic clinical surveillance. These results highlight the effectiveness of our approach for detecting temporal shifts in SARS-CoV-2 variants, even at low RNA concentrations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146091705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using Porcine Gastric Mucin Coated Magnetic Beads to Concentrate and Purify Infectious Human Noroviruses for Infectivity Assays with Human Intestinal Enteroids and Zebrafish","authors":"Malcolm Turk Hsem Tan,&nbsp;Samantha Q. Wales,&nbsp;Dan Li","doi":"10.1007/s12560-026-09681-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-026-09681-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Human noroviruses (hNoVs) are the leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide, yet progress in infectivity-based studies has been hindered by the lack of robust virus purification methods that preserve infectivity. Here, we evaluated porcine gastric mucin (PGM)-coated magnetic beads as a sample preparation tool for concentrating and purifying infectious hNoVs from complex clinical and food matrices for use in two emerging infectivity models, human intestinal enteroids (HIEs) and zebrafish embryos/larvae. Using 18 hNoV strains across multiple genotypes, we observed variable recovery efficiencies (0.03–40%) from stool suspensions, with PGM beads often enhancing viral binding to HIEs but sometimes reducing replication (ten hNoV strains replicated without beads but only seven demonstrated replication with addition of beads), likely due to partial blocking of cell entry. In oyster homogenates spiked with hNoV GII.4[P16], bead aggregation and toxicity issues were mitigated by sample dilution, use of zebrafish larvae instead of embryos, and incorporation of an additional purification step, enabling detection at 10⁵ to 10⁶ genome copies per reaction. No significant cytotoxicity was detected in HIEs or zebrafish larvae under optimized conditions. Our findings indicate that PGM bead-based purification can be a valuable optional step for infectivity assays when working with samples containing strong inhibitors. This protocol provides a practical bridge between environmental/food hNoV detection and infectivity assessment in advanced model systems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146091547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rotavirus Outbreak Traced in Clinical, Environmental, and Food Matrices: Whole Genomic Characterization of an Equine-like G3P[8] Genotype","authors":"Fernanda Marcicano Burlandy,&nbsp;Bruna Campestrini Casarin,&nbsp;Meylin Bautista Gutierrez,&nbsp;Carina Pacheco Cantelli,&nbsp;Shênia Patricia Corrêa Novo,&nbsp;Rosane Maria Santos de Assis,&nbsp;Bruna Candia Piccoli,&nbsp;Amanda Haisi,&nbsp;Anelise da Costa Daneli,&nbsp;Roberta Danieli Marchesan,&nbsp;Julia Kuhns,&nbsp;João Pessoa Araújo Junior,&nbsp;Lílian Borges Teixeira,&nbsp;Alexandre Vargas Schwarzbold,&nbsp;Priscila de Arruda Trindade,&nbsp;Marize Pereira Miagostovich,&nbsp;Tulio Machado Fumian","doi":"10.1007/s12560-026-09678-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-026-09678-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The emergence of new viral strains has been frequently associated with the onset of outbreaks in different epidemiological settings. This study investigated an acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreak, which occurred at a university campus in southern Brazil, in 2024, affecting approximately 30–40% of undergraduate students, with over 400 reported cases. The objectives were to describe the epidemiological and molecular features of the outbreak, identify the probable transmission route, and assess the genetic relatedness of the detected strain to recently circulating rotavirus A (RVA) lineages. Clinical, environmental, and food samples were analysed for RVA and norovirus genogroup (G) I and GII. RT-qPCR detected RVA in the three specimen types with concentrations reaching 2.4 × 10⁸ genome copies (GC)/g in faeces, 3.5 × 10² GC/g in food and 5.5 log₁₀ GC/l in water. Genotyping revealed an equine-like G3P[8] strain in clinical samples with whole genome sequencing establishing a DS-1-like backbone; G3-P[8]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H2. Sequencing data of the VP6 gene of RVA detected in one of the environmental samples confirmed the same genotype (I2), consistent with the genotype found in the clinical stool samples. The detection of RVA in multiple environmental and food specimens suggests that the possible source of contamination was associated with water supply systems. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the outbreak strain clustered with equine-like G3P[8] lineages. These findings highlight the importance of integrating molecular surveillance and environmental monitoring to trace viral transmission pathways and detect the emergence of RVA strains in community outbreaks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12860756/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146091668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the Efficacy of Low-Concentration Gaseous Chlorine Dioxide in Inactivating Airborne H5 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus in Vivo Model","authors":"Yik Lim Hew,&nbsp;Norikazu Isoda,&nbsp;Takanori Miura,&nbsp;Takahiro Hiono,&nbsp;Yoshihiro Sakoda","doi":"10.1007/s12560-026-09677-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-026-09677-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) continues to spread globally, causing several high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in poultry and significant economic losses. Biosecurity measures that prevent the introduction of HPAIV represent a top priority for controlling HPAI outbreaks on poultry farms. Although these measures are crucial for minimizing HPAI introduction, outbreaks of viral infection on poultry farms persist, underscoring the importance of continuously improving biosecurity protocols. Therefore, safe and effective microbicide disinfectants could play an essential role in reducing viral spread by inactivating viral particles on surfaces and in the air. This study assessed the efficacy of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) against H5 HPAIV under both gaseous ClO₂ inactivation setting and in vivo conditions. In the gaseous ClO₂ inactivation setting, only low virus titers were recovered (&lt; 0.5–1.5 log₁₀ TCID₅₀/mL) when H5 HPAIV aerosols were exposed to gaseous ClO₂ (0.05 ppmv, 0.14 mg/m³) for 5 min, corresponding to an approximately 2.0–3.0 log₁₀ reduction. Furthermore, in vivo, all chicks exposed to aerosolized H5 HPAIV, which were treated with 0.1 ppmv gaseous ClO_2, survived for 14 days post-challenge, demonstrating complete protection against the virus. The minimum effective concentration of gaseous ClO₂ was 0.01 ppmv for 5 min of inactivation in the inactivation setting, and 0.05 ppmv for 5 min in vivo, indicating that relatively low concentrations are sufficient for effective viral inactivation. Therefore, gaseous ClO₂ was effective at inactivating aerosolized H5 HPAIV and has potential for use as a disinfectant to prevent HPAIV introduction into poultry. (245/250) words.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12560-026-09677-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146027362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Internalization and Localization of Murine Norovirus in Hydroponically Grown Green Onion (Allium Fistulosum L.)","authors":"Soontag Jung,&nbsp;Hansaem Shin,&nbsp;Daseul Yeo,&nbsp;Hyojin Kwon,&nbsp;Day Jung,&nbsp;Changsun Choi","doi":"10.1007/s12560-026-09679-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-026-09679-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Norovirus is a leading etiological agent of foodborne illnesses globally, with fresh produce serving as a significant vector for its transmission to humans. This study investigated the internalization potential of norovirus from contaminated irrigation water, focusing on the temporal distribution, persistence, and removability of murine norovirus (MNV) in hydroponically grown green onions. Our results demonstrated that MNV rapidly internalized into the root tissues of green onions within 1 h of exposure, subsequently translocating through the vascular system to the stems and leaves. Viral loads consistently peaked in the roots and persisted for at least 21 days post-inoculation. A single water exchange procedure resulted in a gradual decrease in viral load within plant tissues, although viral genomes remained detectable for up to 21 days. Repeated water exchanges effectively cleared the virus from leaves and stems but failed to eradicate it entirely from the roots. Immunofluorescence analysis localized the virus predominantly within the vascular tissues, specifically the xylem and phloem vessels, and most notably on the rough, porous surfaces of root hairs, where viral particles persisted despite rigorous washing protocols. Collectively, these findings unequivocally demonstrate that MNV can rapidly internalize and establish a sustained, long-term presence within green onion plants, particularly concentrated in the root tissues. This underscores the imperativeness of stringent pre-harvest preventive strategies to mitigate the risk of viral contamination in hydroponic cultivation systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12560-026-09679-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146027363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stimulation of Human Adenovirus Infection Modulated by Emerging Micropollutants","authors":"Catielen Paula Pavi,&nbsp;Yasmin Ferreira Souza Hoffmann Jempierre,&nbsp;Lucas Zanchetta,&nbsp;Paula Rogovski,&nbsp;Gislaine Fongaro","doi":"10.1007/s12560-025-09676-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-025-09676-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Contaminants of emergent concern (CECs), such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics, are increasingly found in aquatic environments, yet their interactions with viral pathogens remain underexplored. This study evaluated the effects of antibiotics, antidepressants, microfibers, and nanoplastics on human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV-5) replication in A549 cells. A series of in vitro assays simulating distinct exposure scenarios across the viral replication cycle was conducted. Results showed that individual pre- or post-infection exposure to CECs did not significantly impact HAdV-5 replication. However, co-incubation of CECs with viral particles at physiological temperature (37 °C) led to a significant increase in viral replication up to 1.5 log₁₀ compared to viral control, highlighting temperature-dependent interactions. No enhancement was observed at room temperature. The findings suggest that CECs can modulate viral infectivity through direct physicochemical interactions, particularly under conditions resembling those of wastewater environments. This study provides new insights into the potential risks posed by the co-occurrence of viruses and CECs in aquatic ecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12560-025-09676-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146016974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food Security and Environmental Pollution: Policy Directions in the Face of COVID19","authors":"Sameen Zafar,&nbsp;Zubaria Andlib,&nbsp;Zeeshan Fareed,&nbsp;Mubeen Abdur Rehman","doi":"10.1007/s12560-025-09673-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-025-09673-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were experiencing rising levels of acute food insecurity due to many factors, for instance, natural disasters, extreme weather and climate events and socioeconomic conditions. Subsequently, COVID-19 led to substantial and pervasive increases in global food insecurity, impacting vulnerable households worldwide. Owing to these facts, the first empirical study intends to investigate the empirical relationship between COVID-19, environmental pollution, and food shortage. We employ rolling window multiple correlation analysis on worldwide daily data of COVID-19 cases, carbon emissions, and food shortage news index from 22nd January 2020 to 29th November 2021. The results reveal a significant correlation between bivariate and multivariate cases over time. In bivariate cases, we find asymmetric but insignificant correlations between COVID-19 vs. food security and food security vs. CO₂ emissions, except for a significant interconnection between COVID-19 vs. CO₂ emissions at different periods. In the trivariate case, CO₂ emissions and COVID-19 significantly and positively correlated to the food shortage index. This study provides policymakers with critical insights into the global food scarcity crisis driven by COVID-19 and climate change.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145802745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One-Year Wastewater-Based Study: Detection and Molecular Typing of rotaviruses, Noroviruses and Enteroviruses in Sewage of Zahedan, Iran","authors":"Ahmad Nejati,&nbsp;Shayan Pouyandeh,&nbsp;Farshad Khodakhah,&nbsp;Parastoo Soheili,&nbsp;Mohammad Razaghi,&nbsp;Maryam Yousefi,&nbsp;Yaghoub Mollaei-Kandelousi,&nbsp;Maryam Keyvanlou,&nbsp;Razieh Babak,&nbsp;Alireza Masoudi,&nbsp;Seyed Mehdi Tabatabaei,&nbsp;Sussan Mahmoudi,&nbsp;Seyed Mohsen Zahraei,&nbsp;Shohreh Shahmahmoodi","doi":"10.1007/s12560-025-09674-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-025-09674-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a useful tool for early detection of multiple pathogens and an effective method for identifying circulating pathogens in a community. To assess the presence of rotaviruses (RVs), Noroviruses (NoVs) and Enteroviruses (EVs) in wastewater, a one-year study was conducted in the city of Zahedan, Iran. A total of 24 untreated wastewater samples were collected from two collection sites between April 2023 and March 2024. These samples were subjected to virus concentration using a biphasic separation system by the polyethylene-glycol (PEG) precipitation method, followed by genome extraction and one-step TaqMan real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) for RV, NoV genogroup I (NoV GI), NoV genogroup II (NoV GII) and EV. Nucleic acid from the positive samples were used for type identification by nested and semi-nested PCR, Sanger sequencing and BLASTn-NCBI analysis. The results indicated that out of the 24 samples tested, 22 samples (91.66%) for RV, 18 samples (75%) for NoV GI, 24 samples (100%) for NoV GII, and 20 samples (83.33%) for EV were positive. The identified types of RVs included: genotype G1 (6 samples) and genotype G9 (1 sample) based on the VP7 region and genotype P[8] (11 samples) based on the VP4 region. For NoV GII, the genotypes identified were P7 (2 samples), P16 (1 sample), and P17 (5 samples). Additionally, the enterovirus types identified included Echovirus 14 (2 samples), Coxsackievirus A5 (1 sample), and Coxsackievirus A22 (1 sample). This study concludes that enteric viruses are highly prevalent in Zahedan and circulate throughout the year, exhibiting significant genotypic diversity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145729717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fomite Persistence of the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus is Affected by Relative Humidity and Storage Temperature","authors":"Janak Dhakal,&nbsp;Vanessa Whitmore,&nbsp;Jayeshbhai Chaudhari,&nbsp;Hiep Vu,&nbsp;Byron D. Chaves","doi":"10.1007/s12560-025-09670-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-025-09670-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The environmental resilience of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) enhances its potential for indirect transmission and complicates control efforts. This study evaluated the persistence of PRRSV on polypropylene (PP) and stainless steel (SS). A PRRSV suspension (&gt; 6 log TCID50) was inoculated onto PP and SS coupons (2.2 cm × 2.2 cm) coated with organic soil and allowed to dry for 15 min. Samples were then incubated at 4 °C and 25 °C under 40–45% and 65% relative humidity (RH). Virus recovery and titration were performed on days 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 post-inoculation using PRRSV-permissive MARC-145 cells in 96-well tissue culture plates. The experiment was conducted in triplicate. At 4 °C/45% RH and 4 °C/65% RH, infectious PRRSV was recovered from both surfaces through day 7, at &gt; 3.6 and 2.9 log TCID50, respectively. At 4 °C/45% RH, a significant reduction was observed by day 3 on PP and by day 1 on SS (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05), while at 4 °C/65% RH, titers remained stable through day 3 before declining. At 25 °C/40% RH, infectious virus was detectable until day 3 on PP and day 1 on SS, with significantly lower titers thereafter. At 25 °C/65% RH, no infectious virus was detected after day 0 on either surface. These results highlight the persistence of PRRSV under cooler, low-RH conditions and underscore the need for targeted controls to limit viral survival in swine production and feed handling environments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"17 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145699344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surveillance of Enteric Viruses, Enterococci, and PMMoV in Sargassum-Impacted Coastal Waters in the Mexican Caribbean","authors":"G. Rosiles-González,&nbsp;A. Almazán-Becerril,&nbsp;V. H. Carrillo-Jovel,&nbsp;J. C. Peniche-Pérez,&nbsp;J. A. Caballero-Vázquez,&nbsp;O. A. Moreno Valenzuela,&nbsp;J. E. Bautista-García,&nbsp;R. M. Leal-Bautista,&nbsp;C. Hernández-Zepeda","doi":"10.1007/s12560-025-09672-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12560-025-09672-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The atypical arrival of <i>Sargassum</i> spp. along the Mexican Caribbean coast has raised environmental and public health concerns. This study assessed the occurrence of enteric viruses—Human adenovirus (HAdV), Norovirus genogroups I and II (NoV GI, GII), Aichi virus (AiV)—and the viral indicator <i>Pepper mild mottle virus</i> (PMMoV) in seawater during <i>Sargassum</i> tides (2020–2021) and in <i>Sargassum</i>-free conditions (2022). Seawater samples (15 L) were collected seasonally and processed using ultrafiltration and adsorption-elution methods, followed by nucleic acid extraction and quantification via qPCR/RT-qPCR. Enterococci were detected in all samples collected during <i>Sargassum</i> tides, where 87% (7/8) of the samples met recreational water quality standards (&lt; 200 MPN/100 mL). NoV GI and GII were detected in all <i>Sargassum-</i>associated samples (10²–10³ and 10¹–10³ genome copies/L, respectively), while HAdV and AiV were found in 50% of samples (10¹–10² GC/L). In contrast, in <i>Sargassum-</i>free seawater, HAdV and NoV GII were detected in 66% of the samples (10² to 10⁴ GC/L, respectively), NoV GI was detected only in 33% of the samples (10² GC/L), and AiV was not detected. PMMoV was consistently present, with higher concentrations during <i>Sargassum</i> tides (10²–10⁴GC/L) compared to <i>Sargassum</i>-free periods (up to 10² GC/L). A significant difference was observed in the viral concentration profile detected in <i>Sargassum</i> tides compared to <i>Sargassum</i>-free seawater. These findings suggest that <i>Sargassum</i> tides may influence the occurrence and concentration of fecal-associated viruses in coastal waters. The detection of enteric virus genomes in recreational seawater highlights potential public health risks and underscores the need for integrated coastal monitoring strategies in regions affected by macroalgal influxes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":563,"journal":{"name":"Food and Environmental Virology","volume":"17 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}