Detection of oyster-associated norovirus by microchip electrophoresis of an amplified cDNA

Noroviruses, members of the family Caliciviridae, are often found in shellfish grown in polluted water and are emerging as a leading cause of foodbome disease worldwide. As the presence of norovirus in food commodities becomes an important medical and social issue, there are increasing needs for designing improved detection methods for the virus. In this study, we tested the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer for the analysis of norovirus DNA amplified from oyster samples. Microchip electrophoresis provided us with more accurate information, compared to conventional agarose gel electrophoresis, in the resolution and quantification of amplified products. The development of an improved method for food-associated noroviruses would contribute to a rapid identification of contaminated food and improve our understanding of the modes of food contamination and norovirus transmission.