Looks like a slice of pizza could save you all sorts of trouble--If, of course, you vaporized it.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have found that when made into an aerosol, a chemical found in oregano oil, called carvacrol, can be used to help stop the spread of norovirus, according to US News.
Norovirus is one of the most common forms of stomach virus that plagues many households in the U.S. every winter. In fact, most reports of "stomach-bugs" can be traced back to the pesky virus that infiltrates schools and businesses every year. Norovirus was actually responsible for the Royal Caribbean cruise nightmare that impacted passengers aboard Explorer of the Seas. It was the largest norovirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the past 20 years. In addition, a recent norovirus outbreak that sickened 40 people caused celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal to shut his restaurant in London. Yet the chemical carvacrol has the ability to break down the protein membrane of the virus, allowing antimicrobial disinfectants to kill it.
Sadly, this does not mean that eating pizza will save you from getting a stomach bug. The lead researcher, Dr Kelly Bright said: "Carvacrol could potentially be used as a food sanitizer and possibly as a surface sanitizer, particularly in conjunction with other antimicrobials."
The chemical is what gives oregano its fresh odor. So there is a chance that a clean, virus free kitchen may smell a lot more like pizza in the near future--assuming researchers can create a cleaning agent out of the chemical.
