Tremor tales: A cohort study of general and neurological signs in pigs with atypical porcine pestivirus-induced congenital tremor.

Congenital tremor (CT) caused by atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) is a widespread disease in the swine industry. It is characterized by tremors in newborn piglets, but tremor description and association to other clinical signs are not well documented. This study's objectives were to characterize general and neurological clinical signs of APPV-induced CT and describe the progression and associations between the different signs.

Wastewater-associated plastispheres: A hidden habitat for microbial pathogens?

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) receive wastewater from various sources. Despite wastewater treatment aiming to remove contaminants, microplastics persist. Plastic surfaces are quickly colonized by microbial biofilm ("plastispheres").

The effect of enzymatic and viability dye treatment in combination with long-range PCR on assessing Tulane virus infectivity.

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is regularly involved in food-borne infections. To detect infectious HuNoV in food, RT-qPCR remains state of the art but also amplifies non-infectious virus. The present study combines pre-treatments, RNase and propidium monoazide, with three molecular analyses, including long-range PCR, to predominantly detect infectious Tulane virus (TuV), a culturable HuNoV surrogate.

An international inter-laboratory study to compare digital PCR with ISO standardized qPCR assays for the detection of norovirus GI and GII in oyster tissue.

An optimized digital RT-PCR (RT-dPCR) assay for the detection of human norovirus GI and GII RNA was compared with ISO 15216-conform quantitative real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) assays in an interlaboratory study (ILS) among eight laboratories. A duplex GI/GII RT-dPCR assay, based on the ISO 15216-oligonucleotides, was used on a Bio-Rad QX200 platform by six laboratories. Adapted assays for Qiagen Qiacuity or ThermoFisher QuantStudio 3D were used by one laboratory each.

Effectiveness of environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 as an early-warning system: Update of a systematic review during the second year of the pandemic.

The aim of this updated systematic review was to offer an overview of the effectiveness of environmental surveillance (ES) of SARS-CoV-2 as a potential early-warning system (EWS) for COVID-19 and new variants of concerns (VOCs) during the second year of the pandemic. An updated literature search was conducted to evaluate the added value of ES of SARS-CoV-2 for public health decisions. The search for studies published between June 2021 and July 2022 resulted in 1,588 publications, identifying 331 articles for full-text screening.

Implementing risk-based approaches to improve drinking water quality in small water supplies in the Nordic region - barriers and solutions.

Small water supplies face similar problems worldwide, regardless of ownership or management type. Non-compliance with water quality regulations is more frequent in small supplies than in large ones, as are waterborne disease outbreaks. The new European Union Drinking Water Directive requires risk-based approach (RBA) to secure water safety as is recommended in the World Health Organization's Guidelines for drinking water quality through 'water safety plans'.

Gene expression profile of HCT-8 cells following single or co-infections with Cryptosporidium parvum and bovine coronavirus.

Among the causative agents of neonatal diarrhoea in calves, two of the most prevalent are bovine coronavirus (BCoV) and the intracellular parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. Although several studies indicate that co-infections are associated with greater symptom severity, the host-pathogen interplay remains unresolved. Here, our main objective was to investigate the modulation of the transcriptome of HCT-8 cells during single and co-infections with BCoV and C.

Airborne SARS-CoV-2 is more frequently detected in environments related to children and elderly but likely non-infectious, Norway, 2022.

This study investigates the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor and outdoor environments in two cities in Norway between April and May 2022. With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the country and a focus on vaccination, this research aims to shed light on the potential for virus transmission in various settings. Air sampling was conducted in healthcare and non-healthcare facilities, covering locations frequented by individuals across different age groups.

Freshwater plastispheres as a vector for foodborne bacteria and viruses.

There is growing evidence that plastic particles can accumulate microorganisms that are pathogenic to humans or animals. In the current study, the composition of the plastispheres that accumulated on polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pieces submerged in a river in the southeast Norway was characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Seasonal and geographical effects on the bacterial composition of the plastisphere were identified, in addition to the detection of potential foodborne pathogenic bacteria and viruses as part of the plastisphere.

Bovine Enteroids as an In Vitro Model for Infection with Bovine Coronavirus.

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is one of the major viral pathogens of cattle, responsible for economic losses and causing a substantial impact on animal welfare. Several in vitro 2D models have been used to investigate BCoV infection and its pathogenesis. However, 3D enteroids are likely to be a better model with which to investigate host-pathogen interactions.

Temperature Dependent Depuration of Norovirus GII and Tulane Virus from Oysters (Crassostrea gigas).

Raw oysters are considered a culinary delicacy but are frequently the culprit in food-borne norovirus (NoV) infections. As commercial depuration procedures are currently unable to efficiently eliminate NoV from oysters, an optimisation of the process should be considered. This study addresses the ability of elevated water temperatures to enhance the elimination of NoV and Tulane virus (TuV) from Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas).

Effectiveness of environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 as an early warning system during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.

Since infected persons shed SARS-CoV-2 in faeces before symptoms appear, environmental surveillance (ES) may serve as an early warning system (EWS) for COVID-19 and new variants of concern. The ES of SARS-CoV-2 has been widely reviewed; however, its effectiveness as an EWS for SARS-CoV-2 in terms of timeliness, sensitivity and specificity has not been systematically assessed. We conducted a systematic review to identify and synthesise evidence on the ES of SARS-CoV-2 as an EWS to evaluate the added value for public health.

Microbiological Food Safety of Seaweeds.

The use of seaweeds in the human diet has a long history in Asia and has now been increasing also in the western world. Concurrent with this trend, there is a corresponding increase in cultivation and harvesting for commercial production. Edible seaweed is a heterogenous product category including species within the green, red, and brown macroalgae.

Interactions between Cryptosporidium parvum and bovine corona virus during sequential and simultaneous infection of HCT-8 cells.

Neonatal diarrhoea in calves is one of the major health problems in the cattle industry. Although co-infections are often associated with greater severity of disease, there is limited information on any impact on the pathogens themselves. Herein, we studied Cryptosporidium parvum and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) in human HCT-8 cells, inoculated either sequentially or simultaneously, to investigate any influence from the co-infections.

Early detection of salmonid alphavirus in seawater from marine farm sites of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

The traditional strategy for national surveillance of salmonid alphavirus (SAV) infection in Norwegian fish farms relies on a costly, time-consuming, and resource-demanding approach based on the monthly sampling of fish from all marine farms with salmonids. In order to develop an alternative surveillance method, a water filtration method was tested in parallel with the ongoing surveillance program at 7 Norwegian marine farm sites of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. with no current suspicion of SAV infection.

Making Waves: Collaboration in the time of SARS-CoV-2 - rapid development of an international co-operation and wastewater surveillance database to support public health decision-making.

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was first reported in March 2020. Over the subsequent months, the potential for wastewater surveillance to contribute to COVID-19 mitigation programmes has been the focus of intense national and international research activities, gaining the attention of policy makers and the public. As a new application of an established methodology, focused collaboration between public health practitioners and wastewater researchers is essential to developing a common understanding on how, when and where the outputs of this non-invasive community-level approach can deliver actionable outcomes for public health authorities.

Filtration, concentration and detection of salmonid alphavirus in seawater during a post-smolt salmon (Salmo salar) cohabitant challenge.

Currently, the prevalence of salmonid alphavirus (SAV) in Norwegian Atlantic salmon farms is largely surveyed via sacrificing fish and sampling of organ tissue on a monthly basis. However, a more cost-efficient, straightforward, rapid, reliable, reproducible and animal welfare friendly method based on the detection of SAV in water could be considered as an alternative method. In the present study, such a method was developed and optimized through a 6 wk cohabitant challenge trial, using post-smolt Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L challenged with high or low doses of SAV subtype 3 (SAV3).

Development and evaluation of a method for concentration and detection of salmonid alphavirus from seawater.

Waterborne viral infections represent a major threat to fish health. For many viruses, understanding the interplay between pathogens, host and environment presents a major hurdle for transmission. Salmonid alphavirus (SAV) can infect and cause pancreas disease (PD) in farmed salmonids in seawater.

Status of risk-based approach and national framework for safe drinking water in small water supplies of the Nordic water sector.

Reliable safe water supply is a pillar of society and a key to public health. The Nordic countries have an abundance of clean fresh water as a source for drinking water supplies. They have followed developments in safeguarding water, both the recommendations of the World Health Organization framework for safe drinking water and European legislation.

Refined experimental design may increase the value of murine models for estimation of bluetongue virus virulence.

Bluetongue is a serious non-contagious vector-borne viral disease in ruminants, causing poor animal welfare and economic consequences globally. Concern has been raised about the development of novel bluetongue virus (BTV) strains and their possibly altered virulence through the process of viral reassortment. Virulence is traditionally estimated in lethal dose 50 (LD) studies in murine models, but agreement with both and virulence in ruminants is questionable, and a refined experimental design is needed.

Using Biosecurity Measures to Combat Respiratory Disease in Cattle: The Norwegian Control Program for Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Bovine Coronavirus.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) cause important health problems in all cattle husbandry systems. It contributes substantially to the use of antimicrobial substances and compromises animal welfare and the sustainability of the cattle industry. The existing preventive measures of BRD focus at the individual animal or herd level and include vaccination, mass treatment with antimicrobials and improvement of the animal's environment and general health status.

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus in experimentally exposed and rechallenged calves; viral shedding related to clinical signs and the potential for transmission.

Background: Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is an important respiratory pathogen worldwide, detrimentally affecting the economy and animal welfare. To prevent and control BRSV infection, further knowledge on virus shedding and transmission potential in individual animals is required. This study aimed to detect viral RNA and infective virions during BRSV infection to evaluate duration of the transmission period and correlation with clinical signs of disease.

Extended direct lysis method for virus detection on berries including droplet digital RT-PCR or real time RT-PCR with reduced influence from inhibitors.

Detection of viruses on berries is a challenging task, often hampered by the presence of RT-qPCR inhibiting substances from berry juice. A direct extraction method for virus detection (murine norovirus and GA phage) on frozen raspberries was previously published. We expanded (different types of berries and viruses) and improved the method using MobiSpin S400 columns that filter nucleic acids based on size-exclusion chromatography.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of virus and bacteria removal in dual-media contact-filtration for drinking water.

Microorganism removal efficiencies in deep bed filters vary with time and depth in the filter bed as the filter collects particles. Improved knowledge of such dynamics is relevant for the design, operation and microbial risk assessment of filtration processes for drinking water treatment. Here we report on a high-resolution spatio-temporal characterization of virus and bacteria removal in a pilot-scale dual-media filter, operated in contact-filtration mode.

Foodborne viruses: Detection, risk assessment, and control options in food processing.

In a recent report by risk assessment experts on the identification of food safety priorities using the Delphi technique, foodborne viruses were recognized among the top rated food safety priorities and have become a greater concern to the food industry over the past few years. Food safety experts agreed that control measures for viruses throughout the food chain are required. However, much still needs to be understood with regard to the effectiveness of these controls and how to properly validate their performance, whether it is personal hygiene of food handlers or the effects of processing of at risk foods or the interpretation and action required on positive virus test result.