Virus persistence

Assess foodborne virus persistence using TIM®

 

 

About the project

With an estimated 600 million annual cases worldwide, foodborne illnesses present a considerable burden to global public health. More than 20% of these illnesses are attributed to the Human norovirus (HuNoV). Epidemiological data illustrates that HuNoV infections often arise from consumption of contaminated foods, across diverse food categories. A critical gap in current knowledge concerns the fate of noroviruses during gastrointestinal transit following ingestion of contaminated foods.

Static and dynamic in vitro models of the GI tract can shine a light on the persistence of foodborne viruses after oral ingestion, and provide information on the influence of food matrices.

Asses persistence in combination with food

The aim of this study was to evaluate the persistence of Human norovirus (HuNoV) and murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1) during simulated gastrointestinal digestion using a static model and dynamic model TIM-1. The Virus particles were adminisered in TIM-1 in combination with water and different food matrices (strawberries, raspberries, iceberg letttuce and oysters).

MNV-1 persistence was measured using a plaque assays, HuNoV was quantified using RT-qPCR after  PMaxx treatment

Keywords

Food Safety Norovirus Virus Persistence TIM-1 TIM Upper GI

The results

  • One log PFU/mL reduction of MNV observed in static digestion
  • No significant decrease in HuNoV RNA levels in static digestion
  • No significant changes in genome copies of HuNoV, relative to the initial meal, were observed in TIM-1
  • Change in persistence was not significantly influenced by different food matrices
  • Norovirus appears to be highly resistant to the stresses in the gastrointestinal tract, even with decreasing pH in the dynamic TIM-1. This is in agreement with previous studies
  • Findings highlight the value of dynamic digestion models for the assessment of foodborne virus persistence under physiologically relevant conditions.

By incorporating these dynamic physiological features, the TIM-1 system allowed a more realistic evaluation of viral fate during digestion.” 

Beaulieu et al., Front Microbiol. (2026)

Full reference

Beaulieu, R., Jubinville, É., Goulet-Beaulieu, V., Fliss, I., & Jean, J. (2026). Persistence of norovirus in static and dynamic simulators of the human gastrointestinal tract. Frontiers in Microbiology, 17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1750130

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