Norovirus identified in water samples causing gastroenteritis outbreak

A team from the University has detected the presence of norovirus from genogroup I and genogroup II in water samples related to the gastroenteritis outbreak associated with bottled water from the company Aigües del Pirineu and supplied around Catalonia by Eden Springs —which has affected more than 4.000 people.

The study, done with the collaboration of the Health Department in Generalitat (Catalan Government), has the participation of the researchers of Grup de Virus Entèrics of the Faculty of Biology of the UB, Rosa Maria Pintó and Albert Bosch who lead the group, and Albert Blanco, Susana Guix, Noemí Fuster and Fran Pérez-Rodríguez.

According to what researchers said, this is the first time they detect a virus, of any kind, in bottled water samples. However, norovirus are considered to be the first cause of the viral gastroenteritis. Actually, researchers have detected norovirus in different coolers, with high values within 5.000 and 10.000 genomic copies (from genogroup I and II) per litre. It should be borne in mind that the minimum norovirus infectious dose is rated between 18 and 1.000 genomic copies. Therefore with a simple glass of water it would be enough for a susceptible person to get the infection.

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