Mrs. Paparella September 11, 2015 Lemon Juice Disinfects Against Human Norovirus Mrs. Paparella September 11, 2015 Image Credit: Charles D. Humphrey/CDC

When Published: August 2015 Where: University of Heidelberg, Germany Who: Grant Hansman, head of CHS junior research group at the German Cancer Research Center and the University of Heidelberg. When Published: August 2015 Where: University of Heidelberg, Germany 3D print of Norwalk virus, a type of norovirus. Credit: NIAID [National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease]

Background Information Norovirus is a virus that causes severe gastrointestinal illness Symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea It is transmitted by the “fecal-oral route” ; improper hand washing; contaminated foods. Since you can’t grow human noroviruses in cell cultures, they had to test the effect of citric buffer on novovirus virus- like particles which have the same surface characteristics as the real virus.

How Norovirus Effects Society Food- born outbreaks in the US lead to economic losses of around $2 billion per year. THE CDC reports that 19-21 million Americans (1 in 15)are infected each year with up to 800 dying. In UK hospitals the cost of treating outbreaks is estimated at over £100 million a year. overall cost in US is $5.5 billion Outbreaks occur in schools, nursing homes, cruise ships and in the military.

What They Discovered: The citrate binds with the virus at the “binding pocket on the particle that is involved in attaching to the host – the so called histo-blood group antigens” The citrate changes the shape of the virus particle so it can’t infect the host. Citric acid, found in lemons, could prevent the very contagious norovirus from infecting humans.

Importance of Research According to Hansman, “ a few drops of lemon juice on contaminated food or surfaces may prevent the transmission of these viruses” outbreaks could be prevented by using citric acid in food preparation. They are going to study whether the citric acid could reduce symptoms in people already infected with noroviruses. Citrate disinfectants could be routinely used to prevent spread of the disease.

Related Topics When they gave the interferon to mice without immune cells, it prevented the norovirus from taking hold in the mice and eliminated persistent infections. Researchers are working on Norovirus vaccines that could prevent outbreaks in schools and the military. Researchers have studied a connection between antibiotics and the virus. In mice pre-treated with antibiotics, the virus can’t establish a persistent infection. The norovirus needs a “bacterial collaborator” to spread through the host’s system. Scientists working with the mice also discovered that a receptor protein called interferon lambda was needed for antibiotics to prevent norovirus infection.

References German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ). "Lemon juice disinfects against human norovirus." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 August 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150825103120.htm University of Cambridge. "Norovirus stomach bug: Scientists take step towards drug to treat." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 October 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141021101144.htm Washington University in St. Louis. "Possible treatments identified for highly contagious stomach virus." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 January 2015. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150114090813.htm Infectious Diseases Society of America. "Norovirus vaccine reduces symptoms of illness by more than half." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 October 2013. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131004125012.htm