[CORIOLIS] Aerosolization of murine norovirus during toilet flushing

Norovirus (NV) is a major public health problem, globally known to cause outbreaks of Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE), which may lead to hospitalization and death in rare instances. Although the role of fecal-oral route of human exposure to the virus is well studied and is considered to be the primary route of transmission of norovirus, the impact of fecal aerosols generated during the flushing of human waste on the transmission of viral pathogens remains poorly known. Further, while aerosolized NV has been detected in various settings, an aerosol generating source along with information about human exposure to aerosolized NV is lacking.

Methodological and logistical challenges are part of the reason why the detection of aerosolized NV has been so difficult. There is a need for simple, easily deployed air sampling methods to evaluate NV occupational and environmental contamination. In this study, researchers used the Coriolis µ air sampler (Bertin Technologies, France), and another impinger air sampler, to determine if toilet flushing is an aerosol generation source of NV, using a surrogate murine norovirus (MNV).