Prevalence and genotyping of Norovirus in environment and food handlers of catering services and hotels

Abstract

Objective To investigate the prevalence and genotyping of Norovirus in environment and food handlers in catering services and hotels. Methods A total of 40 catering services and 10 hotels were selected as the sampling sites in this study and 4 environment samples and 2 food-handler fecal samples were collected from each site. RNA was extracted and preliminary analyzed for Norovirus by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Partial opening reading frames 1 (ORF1) sequences were amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), followed by sequence and phylogenetic analysis. Results One mop sink swab out of 200 environment samples (0.5%, 1/200) and 3 out of 100 food handlers fecal samples (3.0%, 3/100) were positive for Norovirus. The genotyping of Norovirus revealed that one belonged to GII. 17 genotype and two belonged to GI. 3 genotype. Conclusion The transmission risk of Norovirus in catering services and hotels should be paid more attention to and hygienic management should be strengthened. Health education of food handlers to prevent the transmission of Norovirus should be strengthened.

Keywords

• norovirus
• catering service unit
• hotel
• food handler
• asymptomatic infection
• environment surfaces
• genotype