IN THE U.S., THE MAJORITY OF FOODBORNE ILLNESSES ARE CAUSED BY VIRAL PATHOGENS, SUCH AS NOROVIRUS, AND CONTAMINATED FRESH PRODUCE ARE INCREASINGLY ASSOCIATED WITH THESE FOODBORNE OUTBREAKS. GIVEN THIS HIGH BURDEN OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS ASSOCIATED WITH FRESH PRODUCE, THERE IS A NEED TO STUDY THE FREQUENCY AND SOURCES OF NOROVIRUS CONTAMINATION OF FRESH PRODUCE IN THE FARM ENVIRONMENT. THIS SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR NOVEL LABORATORY METHODS TO DETECT NOROVIRUS AND TECHNIQUES FOR PROVIDING EVIDENCE-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE REDUCTION OF CONTAMINATION ON FRESH PRODUCE AND INFECTION RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN THE FARM-PRODUCE PRODUCTION SETTING. THEREFORE, THE OBJECTIVES ARE TO:QUANTIFY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFECTIOUS HUMAN NOROVIRUS AND FECAL INDICATORS ON HANDS AND WATER DURING PRODUCE PRODUCTION.ESTIMATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN NOROVIRUS INFECTION AND NOROVIRUS-CONTAMINATED HANDS OF MEXICAN AND U.S. FARMWORKERS.EVALUATE PRODUCE SAFETY STRATEGIES ON THE RISK OF HUMAN NOROVIRUS CONTAMINATION ACROSS FRESH PRODUCE COMMODITIES DURING HARVEST AND PACKING PRACTICES THAT MAXIMIZE PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY.THESE IMPACTS WILL ADVANCE THE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF PRODUCE SAFETY IN US AND MEXICAN AGRICULTURE TO MINIMIZE MICROBIAL HAZARDS ON FRESH PRODUCE.