Hepatitis and Norovirus

Hepatis A virus (HAV) and norovirus are important agents of food-borne human viral illness.  No routine methods exist for culture of norovirus, and HAV culture methods are not appropriate for routine application for food matrices.  Detection is therefore reliant on molecular methods using the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).  It is necessary to use an extraction method that produces highly clean RNA preparations that are fit for purpose.

Exact Scientific Services, Inc. has been analyzing sample for HAV and norovirus since 2019.  Our initial method used ready-made PCR kits and then we moved to the FDA-BAM method using ultracentrifugation.  After during extensive research into recovery and detection we landed on the ISO 15216 method.  This method uses a PEG/NaCL precipitation extraction.