Appropriate swab method for monitoring norovirus on environmental surfaces in an urban hospital.

Environmental surface contamination leads to microbial transmission. Norovirus is a leading cause of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis. The virus remains stable in various environments and spreads through multiple routes, including direct contact with surfaces. This study aims to apply the swab method to detect norovirus on environmental surfaces in an urban hospital. Sterile distilled water used as the swab wetting buffer provided the highest recovery rate for norovirus (101.3 % ± 22.7 %). The norovirus GII concentration recovered from environmental surfaces ranged from 104 to 106 genome copies/mL, with average recovery rates of 112.1 % ± 45.4 % for polystyrene, 66.0 % ± 47.1 % for stainless steel, and 40.6 % ± 15.6 % for ceramic. The presence of norovirus on 210 environmental surfaces surrounding hospitalized patients was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequent RT-nested PCR revealed positivity for norovirus GI (GI.3) in only 1 of 210 samples. Therefore, the swab test technique should be considered for routine monitoring for norovirus contamination on hospital surfaces. The results of this study can help guide the control and prevention of infectious diseases in hospitals.