Human noroviruses are the predominant cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide. Strains of norovirus also exist that are uniquely associated with animals; their contribution to the incidence of human illness remains unclear. We tested animal fecal samples and identifi ed GIII (bovine), GII.18 (swine), and GII.4 (human) norovirus sequences, demonstrating for the fi rst time, to our knowledge, that GII.4-like strains can be present in livestock. In addition, we detected GII.4-like noroviral RNA from a retail meat sample. This fi nding highlights a possible route for indirect zoonotic transmission of noroviruses through the food chain.
[Thanks to Dr. Julie Funk for providing this abstract.]
Kirsten Mattison,1 Anu Shukla,1 Angela Cook,2 Frank Pollari,2 Robert Friendship,3 David Kelton,3 Sabah Bidawid,1 and Jeffrey M. Farber1, Human Noroviruses in Swine and Cattle, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 13, No. 8, August 2007