Hidden Viruses: Amoebae as a Water Safety "Trojan Horse"

KREMS, Austria - Dec. 18, 2025 - PRLog -- Human norovirus and adenovirus, two major causes of viral gastroenteritis, can persist for extended periods inside free-living amoebae that are common in natural and engineered water systems. A now internationally published study shows that these gut viruses can "hide" within different stages of the amoebae and remain capable of causing infection after this detour. The work, led by Karl Landsteiner University (KL Krems) together with international partners, indicates that free-living amoebae may act as previously overlooked reservoirs and transport vessels for enteric viruses. This could help explain their surprising persistence in some water systems and provide a basis for more refined risk assessments and, ultimately, safer drinking and recreational waters.

Diarrhoeal diseases caused by contaminated food and water still represent a substantial global health burden, despite marked progress in sanitation and drinking water treatment. Human norovirus is the most common cause of acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide and can cause infections after exposure to only a handful of viruses, while human adenoviruses are also frequently detected in sewage and surface waters impacted by wastewater. Standard water safety concepts largely focus on freely floating viruses in the water column or those attached to particles. However, in recent years free-living amoebae – single-celled organisms ubiquitous in water systems and long known to shelter bacteria and other microbes – have also been recognised as carriers of viruses. Against this backdrop, scientists at the Department of Water Quality and Health of KL Krems, together with colleagues from Canada, Asia and Australia, set out to clarify how norovirus and adenovirus interact with different amoeba species and what this might mean for water-related infection risks.

More on KL Krems research: https://www.kl.ac.at/en/research/research-blog

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