In previous studies, we found that most Finnish pigs get infected with hepatitis E virus (HEV) at some point in their lives, usually when they are piglets, but less often when they are at slaughter age. These pigs carry strains of HEV that can be passed on to humans. We are interested in investigating whether pork, pig liver, and other organs are containing HEV at the time of slaughter in Finland.
One effective method to eliminate HEV in pig containing food so far is to cook the food at high temperatures. We aim to help find ways to prevent HEV from contaminating food products, such as sausages. To address this issue, we are investigating how long viruses can survive in specific foods to develop prevention strategies. We are studying the survival of HEV during the mettwurst manufacturing process and comparing it to virus survival when pork sausages are heat-treated. We are also examining the impact of smoking on virus survival.
In addition to farm animals like pigs, humans consume game meat which regularly is not as heat-treated as pork. It is important to determine the presence of HEV in wild animals. HEV is common in both farmed and wild boar. Moose also have their own strain of HEV, but we do not yet know if it can infect humans. HEV has been found in some deer species in other countries. There are indications that HEV may infect Finnish white-tailed deer, but more research is needed.
We were supported financially by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (VirSta project). These studies will primarily contribute to the PhD thesis of Emil Loikkanen.
In our studies, we are also investigating porcine noroviruses in pigs. These viruses are particularly interesting because they are closely related to the noroviruses that infect humans. These viruses can evolve rapidly. Some day they may evolve so that they will be able to jump to another host.
Norovirus is typically found in non-heated foods like fresh berries, salads, and shellfish. In Nordic countries, there have been multiple reports of outbreaks related to berries, mostly caused by norovirus. We aim to investigate how viruses get into food and find ways to prevent it. Additionally, we are developing sensitive methods to detect viruses or their RNA in food and other matrices.
Thus, our group is also studying virus survival in berry smoothies. Norovirus is very stable in cold conditions. We use murine norovirus as a model for human norovirus because cultivating human norovirus in the lab is still difficult.
Viruses can spread through contaminated water, leading to widespread infections if people drink this water. Viral water contamination usually originates from wastewater/sewage produced by human communities. Humans excrete enteric viruses in their feces, so sewage contains these viruses. Some viruses show seasonal trends; for example, noroviruses are found in high concentrations in sewage during winter and less so in autumn. Although most viruses are removed during wastewater treatment, some can still enter surface waters.
We are interested in understanding the presence and potential fluctuations of viruses in surface waters, such as river water. Surface water can reintroduce viruses to humans through activities like irrigation, swimming, and other recreational uses.
We were earlier supported by EU (VITAL project). Recently, we were supported by Era-Net (Forewarn project). These studies will primarily contribute to the PhD thesis of Ankita Gupta.
Most beverages contain water, and if this water is not adequately treated, it can contaminate the drinks. We are interested in studying how various viruses survive in beverages. The viruses we are focusing on include norovirus, rotavirus, sapovirus, and HEV. Our goal is to identify the factors in beverages and milk that affect virus survival.
We primarily use animal viruses as models for human viruses because they are easier to handle in the laboratory, and we have established methods to test their viability. To cultivate these viruses, we require specific cell lines in which they can grow.
Norovirus and sapovirus are related viruses; both have one single-strand RNA genome and a simple protein capsid without a lipid envelope. We are particularly interested in how different treatments, such as high pressure and heat, impact the survival of these viruses. Rotavirus has a different structure from norovirus, it has a double-stranded RNA genome in pieces of segments, inner and outer protein layers, and spikes.
This study was partly supported by Era-Net (Forewarn project) and will primarily contribute to the PhD thesis of Ziwei Zhao.
We may detect the presence of viral genomes by analysing swab samples taken from surfaces in various premises. The presence of virus can indicate that a person or persons shedding viruses have been in the room. For example, norovirus can cause asymptomatic infections, so a person might go to work without knowing one is spreading the virus. We adapted the methods that we had previously optimised for the detection of enteric viruses to also detect SARS. In a collaborative study, we demonstrated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in hospital wards.
Although food and waterborne viruses primarily infect the gut, it's possible that they could also spread via vomit droplets or aerosols. In collaboration with aerosol research groups, we have conducted laboratory experiments showing that we can create aerosolized viruses, and cells exposed to these aerosols can become infected.
These studies have been supported by Business Finland (E3).
We offer analysis services for viral persistence/inactivation testing and for virus detection. For example, we have tested the effectiveness of disinfectants and UV light on viruses, the survival of viruses on antimicrobial surfaces, and studied the effectiveness of various thermal or other treatments to reduce virus load in food manufacturing processes. In these tests, we have primarily used murine norovirus and rotavirus. We also offer real-time RT-qPCR testing for various enteric viruses, such as for norovirus, hepatitis A and E viruses, rotavirus, and sapovirus.
As an example, you can find a publication which was made as a result from collaborative research with a company.