Clemson Food Safety Specialist Awarded Grant to Help Children Avoid Food Illness

CLEMSON, S.C. — A Clemson University food safety scientist has received nearly $543,000 to study conditions for the spread of norovirus in the elementary school environment. Norovirus is the cause of an illness that sickens millions of Americans annually who come into contact with contaminated foods, surfaces and individuals.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $542,999 to Angela Fraser for her project: “Hand Hygiene Promotion: An Essential Strategy for Preventing Foodborne Illness in Elementary Schools.”

Fraser, an associate professor and food safety specialist in the food, nutrition and packaging science department, will lead a three-year project to identify conditions for the transmission of norovirus in 10 South Carolina elementary schools.  

“Everyone is susceptible to norovirus, but children might be at greater risk,” Fraser said. "Crowded settings, shared objects and poor hygiene practices can all contribute to the transfer of norovirus in the school environment. We can lower the odds if we can identify how they are being spread so we can develop appropriate interventions to prevent episodes of illness.”

Fraser leads a multi-university team that will study and analyze conditions for the spread of norovirus, then develop and promote educational materials targeting children, teachers and food-service workers. Working with colleagues at North Carolina State University and Michigan State University, the first phase will have observers in selected elementary school students, looking closely at hygiene habits and the school environment.

“Offering students more self-service opportunities — bowls of fresh fruit and salad bars — has presented a need for research about the spread of norovirus by children in school cafeterias,” said Fraser. “Food safety efforts in schools tend to focus on the food-handling practices of the workers and not the children. Infected children could very easily contaminate food while they are serving themselves or sharing foods with others.”

Noroviruses are the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC estimates that each year more than 20 million cases of acute gastroenteritis are caused by noroviruses. That means about 1 in every 15 Americans will get norovirus illness each year. Norovirus is also estimated to cause more than 70,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths each year in the United States.

Symptoms of norovirus infection typically include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach cramps.