Norovirus (NoV), which belongs to the family Caliciviridae, is one of the major causes of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis in the world. In this study, we purified proteins from the epitope region of norovirus for development of the rapid diagnosis system using polyclonal antibodies. As antigens, parts of the ORF (open reading frame) 2, ORF2-P domain, ORF2-Epi, and ORF3 regions were selected and their expressions were induced. The antigenicity of the purified proteins was identified by Western blotting. Each of the purified proteins was injected into mice for the production of novel antibodies and after 3 months of immunization, sera from the mice were obtained. The polyclonal antibody titer was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and antibody against ORF2-Epi showed the highest titer. Those polyclonal antibodies can be used in further immunoassay for the rapid detection of NoVs from food and clinical specimens.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Blotting, Western ; Caliciviridae ; Ecthyma, Contagious ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunoassay ; Mice ; Norovirus ; Proteins

Waterborne parasitic protozoa, particularly Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium spp., are common causes of diarrhea and gastroenteritis worldwide. The most frequently identified source of infestation is water, and exposure involves either drinking water or recreation in swimming pools or natural bodies of water. In practice, studies on Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in surface water are challenging owing to the low concentrations of these microorganisms because of dilution. In this study, a 3-year monitoring of Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, and Naegleria fowleri was conducted from August 2014 to June 2016 at 5 surface water sites including 2 lakes, 1 river, and 2 water intake plants. A total of 50 water samples of 40 L were examined. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 22% of samples and Giardia cysts in 32%. Water at the 5 sampling sites was all contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts (0–36/L), Giardia cysts (0–39/L), or both. The geometric mean concentrations of Cryptosporidium and Giardia were 1.14 oocysts/L and 4.62 cysts/L, respectively. Thus, effective monitoring plans must take into account the spatial and temporal parameters of contamination because they affect the prevalence and distribution of these protozoan cysts in local water resources.
Cryptosporidium ; Cryptosporidium parvum ; Diarrhea ; Drinking ; Drinking Water ; Gastroenteritis ; Giardia ; Giardia lamblia ; Lakes ; Naegleria fowleri ; Oocysts ; Prevalence ; Recreation ; Rivers ; Swimming Pools ; Water Resources ; Water

This study investigated the recovery and absorption rates of murine norovirus, a surrogate for human norovirus, by using NanoCeram(R) filters which served as a tool for recovering viruses. In the study, two types of NanoCeram(R) filters were employed: one was a cartridge type and the other was a disc type (phi 47 mm) whose surface area is 75 times smaller than the cartridge type. The analytical method was the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The study found that the average recovery rates of the cartridge type and the disc type were 30.9% and 29.5% respectively. Since these two rates were very close to each other, the adsorption rate of the cartridge type could be predicted with the disc type. Analyzing recovery and absorption rates of the disc type based on different filtered volumes showed that when the volume increased from 0.5 L to 20 L, the average recovery rate rose from 14.78% to 30.41 %, while the average absorption rate dropped from 56.33% to 10.48%. The increase in turbidity from less than 1 NTU to less than 3 NTU raised the average recovery rate from 47.23% to 82.84%.
Absorption ; Adsorption ; Humans ; Norovirus