Viruses survive in fresh water by ‘hitchhiking’ on plastic, study finds

Intestinal viruses such as rotavirus were found to be infectious for up to three days by attaching to microplastics, research shows

Dangerous viruses can remain infectious for up to three days in fresh water by hitchhiking on plastic, researchers have found.

Enteric viruses that cause diarrhoea and stomach upsets, such as rotavirus, were found to survive in water by attaching to microplastics, tiny particles less than 5mm long. They remain infectious, University of Stirling researchers found, posing a potential health risk.