A novel strategy for norovirus removal from wastewater based on bacterial-viral interactions

Abstract

Norovirus is the main pathogen of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. It is highly resistant to the environment. The virus is not effectively inactivated by either UV or chlorine disinfection. Sewage is one of the sources of the spread of norovirus epidemic. This study delved into the capacities and mechanisms employed by Sphingobacterium multivorum in the removal of Norovirus from wastewater. The adsorption process was optimised by response surface method, and adsorption effects were explored by transmission electron microscopy, analysis of monosaccharide, molecular docking. A reduction of 2.42 log units of norovirus in simulated wastewater was facilitated by S S. multivorum. The optimal adsorption performance by S. multivorum was observed under conditions of a pH value of 8.4, a temperature of 25 °C, and a duration of 1.3 h. The effector molecule for norovirus adsorption by S. multivorum was located in the bacterial EPS. The effector molecule is a class of substances with structural similarities to human type A, B and Lewis A histo-blood group antigens, and its monosaccharide component is mainly fucose. The results of molecular interaction docking simulations showed that fucose was able to form hydrogen bonding interactions with amino acids in the norovirus P protein. Norovirus-bacteria interactions provide methods for wastewater norovirus removal and new strategies for other virus removal processes.