Greensboro, NC-- A solution to norovirus may be a reality one day, and the a Greensboro university may be part of it.
Scientists at NC Agricultural and Technical State University are on the national team of researchers who this week were awarded $25 million to develop solutions to norovirus, a poorly understood microbe that is the nation's leading cause of foodborne illness.
The funding, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is the largest-ever food safety grant in USDA history. The aim is to develop a consumer-friendly, safe sanitizer to nullify the virus on fresh produce and surfaces, as well as develop food packaging that incorporates anti-virus nanoparticles.
Human noroviruses cause more than 21 million illnesses each year, easily spreading from person to person through contaminated food or water, and through contact with contaminated surfaces. Shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels, fresh produce and foods that are extensively handled just prior to consumption are at greatest risk for contamination.
Though costly to employers and workers due to lost work days, noroviruses are rarely fatal or serious, mainly causing upset stomach and diarrhea that pass in a few days.
Dr. Leonard Williams, lead scientist for food safety at A&T's Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, had this to say about the research, "we are extremely pleased to be afforded this opportunity to use CEPHT's advanced infrastructure and capabilities to work on such a pressing issue of national importance to public health."
NC State University will lead the team of 30 institutions across academia, industry and government. These partners will improve methods to detect, isolate and study the microbe, and develop databases and curriculums for graduate students and public health workers.
Food safety initiatives are important in protecting agriculture, which is North Carolina's largest industry, generating $74 billion in economic activity and employing nearly one-fifth of the state's workers.
WFMY News 2/NC A&T