251
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Gerrity D, Papp K, Stoker M, Sims A, Frehner W. Early-pandemic wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Southern Nevada: Methodology, occurrence, and incidence/prevalence considerations. WATER RESEARCH X 2021; 10:100086. [PMID: 33398255 PMCID: PMC7774458 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified COVID-19 as a global pandemic, with the situation ultimately requiring unprecedented measures to mitigate the effects on public health and the global economy. Although SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for COVID-19) is primarily respiratory in nature, multiple studies confirmed its genetic material could be detected in the feces of infected individuals, thereby highlighting sewage as a potential indicator of community incidence or prevalence. Numerous wastewater surveillance studies subsequently confirmed detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and wastewater-associated solids/sludge. However, the methods employed in early studies vary widely so it is unclear whether differences in reported concentrations reflect true differences in epidemiological conditions, or are instead driven by methodological artifacts. The current study aimed to compare the performance of virus recovery and detection methods, detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in two Southern Nevada sewersheds from March-May 2020, and better understand the potential link between COVID-19 incidence/prevalence and wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. SARS-CoV-2 surrogate recovery (0.34%-55%) and equivalent sample volume (0.1 mL-1 L) differed between methods and target water matrices, ultimately impacting method sensitivity and reported concentrations. Composite sampling of influent and primary effluent resulted in a ∼10-fold increase in concentration relative to corresponding grab primary effluent samples, presumably highlighting diurnal variability in SARS-CoV-2 signal. Detection and quantification of four SARS-CoV-2 genetic markers (up to ∼106 gene copies per liter), along with ratios of SARS-CoV-2 to pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), exhibited comparability with public health data for two sewersheds in an early phase of the pandemic. Finally, a wastewater model informed by fecal shedding rates highlighted the potential significance of new cases (i.e., incidence rather than prevalence) when interpreting wastewater surveillance data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gerrity
- Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV, 89193, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 454015, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Katerina Papp
- Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV, 89193, USA
| | - Mitchell Stoker
- Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV, 89193, USA
| | - Alan Sims
- Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV, 89193, USA
| | - Wilbur Frehner
- Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV, 89193, USA
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252
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Aguiar-Oliveira MDL, Campos A, R. Matos A, Rigotto C, Sotero-Martins A, Teixeira PFP, Siqueira MM. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) and Viral Detection in Polluted Surface Water: A Valuable Tool for COVID-19 Surveillance-A Brief Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E9251. [PMID: 33321987 PMCID: PMC7764684 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Disease clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic to severe multiple organ damage. SARS-CoV-2 uses ACE2 as a cellular receptor, which is abundantly expressed in the small intestine, allowing viral replication in the gastrointestinal tract. Viral RNA has been detected in the stool of COVID-19 patients and viable viruses had been isolated in some of these samples. Thus, a putative role of SARS-CoV-2 fecal-oral transmission has been argued. SARS-CoV-2 is shed in human excreta and further disposed in the sewerage or in the environment, in poor basic sanitation settings. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a valuable population level approach for monitoring viral pathogens and has been successfully used in different contexts. This review summarizes the current global experience on SARS-CoV-2 WBE in distinct continents and viral detection in polluted surface water. The advantages and concerns of this strategy for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance are discussed. Outcomes suggest that WBE is a valuable early warning alert and a helpful complementary surveillance tool to subside public health response, to tailor containment and mitigation measures and to determine target populations for testing. In poor sanitation settings, contaminated rivers could be alternatively used as a source for environmental surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria de Lourdes Aguiar-Oliveira
- Laboratory of Respiratory Viruses and Measles, IOC, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-RJ, National Reference Laboratory for Influenza and COVID-19 for the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) and World Health Organization (WHO), Av. Brasil, 4365 Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21040-360, Brazil; (A.R.M.); (M.M.S.)
| | - Aline Campos
- State Center for Health Surveillance, Rio Grande do Sul State Department of Health. Av. Ipiranga, 5400, Porto Alegre CEP 90610-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil;
| | - Aline R. Matos
- Laboratory of Respiratory Viruses and Measles, IOC, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-RJ, National Reference Laboratory for Influenza and COVID-19 for the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) and World Health Organization (WHO), Av. Brasil, 4365 Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21040-360, Brazil; (A.R.M.); (M.M.S.)
| | - Caroline Rigotto
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Feevale University, ERS-239, 2755, Novo Hamburgo CEP 93525-075, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil;
| | - Adriana Sotero-Martins
- Department of Sanitation and Environmental Health, National School of Public Health Sergio Arouca (ENSP), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-RJ, Av. Brasil, 4365 Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21040-360, Brazil;
| | - Paulo F. P. Teixeira
- Former World Health Organization WHO/PAHO Regional Advisor on Water and Sanitation, Environmental Health, Porto Alegre CEP 90035-002, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil;
| | - Marilda M. Siqueira
- Laboratory of Respiratory Viruses and Measles, IOC, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-RJ, National Reference Laboratory for Influenza and COVID-19 for the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) and World Health Organization (WHO), Av. Brasil, 4365 Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21040-360, Brazil; (A.R.M.); (M.M.S.)
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253
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Bivins A, Greaves J, Fischer R, Yinda KC, Ahmed W, Kitajima M, Munster VJ, Bibby K. Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in Water and Wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2020; 7:937-942. [PMID: 37566354 PMCID: PMC7553037 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA is frequently detected in the feces of infected individuals. While infectious SARS-CoV-2 has not previously been identified in wastewater, infectious SARS-CoV-2 has been isolated from the feces of at least one patient, raising concerns about the presence of infectious SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. The fate and inactivation characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in water and wastewater are unknown, with current inactivation estimates based on surrogate models. In this study, the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and RNA signal was determined in water and wastewater. The times for 90% reduction (T90) of viable SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and tap water at room temperature were 1.5 and 1.7 days, respectively. In high-starting titer (105 TCID50 mL-1) experiments, infectious virus persisted for the entire 7-day sampling time course. In wastewater at 50 and 70 °C, the observed T90 values for infectious SARS-CoV-2 were decreased to 15 and 2 min, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found to be significantly more persistent than infectious SARS-CoV-2, indicating that the environmental detection of RNA alone does not substantiate risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
& Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame,
Indiana 46556, United States
- Environmental Change Initiative,
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46566,
United States
| | - Justin Greaves
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
& Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame,
Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Robert Fischer
- Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories
(RML), National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840,
United States
| | - Kwe Claude Yinda
- Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories
(RML), National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840,
United States
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water,
Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102,
Australia
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering,
Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo,
Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Vincent J. Munster
- Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories
(RML), National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840,
United States
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
& Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame,
Indiana 46556, United States
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254
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Whitney ON, Kennedy LC, Fan V, Hinkle A, Kantor R, Greenwald H, Crits-Christoph A, Al-Shayeb B, Chaplin M, Maurer AC, Tjian R, Nelson KL. Sewage, Salt, Silica and SARS-CoV-2 (4S): An economical kit-free method for direct capture of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2020:2020.12.01.20242131. [PMID: 33300015 PMCID: PMC7724686 DOI: 10.1101/2020.12.01.20242131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is an emerging tool to monitor COVID-19 infection levels by measuring the concentration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater. There remains a need to improve wastewater RNA extraction methods' sensitivity, speed, and reduce reliance on often expensive commercial reagents to make wastewater-based epidemiology more accessible. We present a kit-free wastewater RNA extraction method, titled "Sewage, Salt, Silica and SARS-CoV-2" (4S), that employs the abundant and affordable reagents sodium chloride (NaCl), ethanol and silica RNA capture matrices to recover 6-fold more SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater than an existing ultrafiltration-based method. The 4S method concurrently recovered pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and human 18S ribosomal subunit rRNA, both suitable as fecal concentration controls. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations measured in three sewersheds corresponded to the relative prevalence of COVID-19 infection determined via clinical testing. Lastly, controlled experiments indicate that the 4S method prevented RNA degradation during storage of wastewater samples, was compatible with heat pasteurization, and could be performed in approximately 3 hours. Overall, the 4S method is promising for effective, economical, and accessible wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2, providing another tool to fight the global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar N. Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lauren C. Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vinson Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Rose Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Mira Chaplin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Anna C. Maurer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robert Tjian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Kara L. Nelson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
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255
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Trottier J, Darques R, Ait Mouheb N, Partiot E, Bakhache W, Deffieu MS, Gaudin R. Post-lockdown detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the wastewater of Montpellier, France. One Health 2020. [PMID: 32835069 DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.08.20148882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic can be monitored through the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage. Here, we measured the amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the inflow point of the main waste water treatment plant (WWTP) of Montpellier, France. We collected samples 4 days before the end of lockdown and up to 70 days post-lockdown. We detected increased amounts of SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the WWTP from mid-June on, whereas the number of new COVID-19 cases in the area started increasing a couple of weeks later. Future epidemiologic investigations shall explain such asynchronous finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Trottier
- CNRS, ART-Dev, Site Saint-Charles, Rue du Professeur Henri Serre, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Regis Darques
- CNRS, ART-Dev, Site Saint-Charles, Rue du Professeur Henri Serre, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Nassim Ait Mouheb
- Université de Montpellier, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090 Montpellier, France
- INRAE, UMR G-eau, 361 Rue Jean-François Breton, 34196 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Emma Partiot
- Université de Montpellier, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090 Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - William Bakhache
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Maika S Deffieu
- Université de Montpellier, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090 Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Raphael Gaudin
- Université de Montpellier, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090 Montpellier, France
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
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256
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Kumar M, Patel AK, Shah AV, Raval J, Rajpara N, Joshi M, Joshi CG. First proof of the capability of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 in India through detection of genetic material of SARS-CoV-2. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 746:141326. [PMID: 32768790 PMCID: PMC7386605 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 301] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
We made the first ever successful effort in India to detect the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 viruses to understand the capability and application of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) surveillance in India. Sampling was carried out on 8 and 27 May 2020 at the Old Pirana Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) at Ahmedabad, Gujarat that receives effluent from Civil Hospital treating COVID-19 patients. All three, i.e. ORF1ab, N and S genes of SARS-CoV-2, were found in the influent with no genes detected in effluent collected on 8 and 27 May 2020. Increase in SARS-CoV-2 genetic loading in the wastewater between 8 and 27 May 2020 samples concurred with corresponding increase in the number of active COVID-19 patients in the city. The number of gene copies was comparable to that reported in untreated wastewaters of Australia, China and Turkey and lower than that of the USA, France and Spain. However, temporal changes in SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations need to be substantiated further from the perspectives of daily and short-term changes of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater through long-term monitoring. The study results SARS-CoV-2 will assist concerned authorities and policymakers to formulate and/or upgrade COVID-19 surveillance to have a more explicit picture of the pandemic curve. While infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 through the excreted viral genetic material in the aquatic environment is still being debated, the presence and detection of genes in wastewater systems makes a strong case for the environmental surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- Discipline of Earth Science, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 355, India; Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
| | - Arbind Kumar Patel
- Discipline of Earth Science, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 355, India
| | - Anil V Shah
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), Paryavaran Bhavan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 010, India
| | - Janvi Raval
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
| | - Neha Rajpara
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
| | - Madhvi Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
| | - Chaitanya G Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
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257
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Kumar M, Patel AK, Shah AV, Raval J, Rajpara N, Joshi M, Joshi CG. First proof of the capability of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 in India through detection of genetic material of SARS-CoV-2. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020. [PMID: 32768790 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.16.20133215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We made the first ever successful effort in India to detect the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 viruses to understand the capability and application of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) surveillance in India. Sampling was carried out on 8 and 27 May 2020 at the Old Pirana Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) at Ahmedabad, Gujarat that receives effluent from Civil Hospital treating COVID-19 patients. All three, i.e. ORF1ab, N and S genes of SARS-CoV-2, were found in the influent with no genes detected in effluent collected on 8 and 27 May 2020. Increase in SARS-CoV-2 genetic loading in the wastewater between 8 and 27 May 2020 samples concurred with corresponding increase in the number of active COVID-19 patients in the city. The number of gene copies was comparable to that reported in untreated wastewaters of Australia, China and Turkey and lower than that of the USA, France and Spain. However, temporal changes in SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations need to be substantiated further from the perspectives of daily and short-term changes of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater through long-term monitoring. The study results SARS-CoV-2 will assist concerned authorities and policymakers to formulate and/or upgrade COVID-19 surveillance to have a more explicit picture of the pandemic curve. While infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 through the excreted viral genetic material in the aquatic environment is still being debated, the presence and detection of genes in wastewater systems makes a strong case for the environmental surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- Discipline of Earth Science, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 355, India; Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
| | - Arbind Kumar Patel
- Discipline of Earth Science, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 355, India
| | - Anil V Shah
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), Paryavaran Bhavan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 010, India
| | - Janvi Raval
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
| | - Neha Rajpara
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
| | - Madhvi Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
| | - Chaitanya G Joshi
- Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Sector- 11, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382 011, India
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258
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunz Yannic
- Department of Urology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Horninger Wolfgang
- Department of Urology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Pinggera Germar-Michael
- Department of Urology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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259
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Mao K, Zhang H, Yang Z. An integrated biosensor system with mobile health and wastewater-based epidemiology (iBMW) for COVID-19 pandemic. Biosens Bioelectron 2020; 169:112617. [PMID: 32998066 PMCID: PMC7492834 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused a significant public health challenge worldwide. A lack of effective methods for screening potential patients, rapidly diagnosing suspected cases, and accurately monitoring of the epidemic in real time to prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19 raises significant difficulties in mitigating the epidemic in many countries. As effective point-of-care diagnosis tools, simple, low-cost and rapid sensors have the potential to greatly accelerate the screening and diagnosis of suspected patients to improve their treatment and care. In particular, there is evidence that multiple pathogens have been detected in sewage, including SARS-CoV-2, providing significant opportunities for the development of advanced sensors for wastewater-based epidemiology that provide an early warning of the pandemic within the population. Sensors could be used to screen potential carriers, provide real-time monitoring and control of the epidemic, and even support targeted drug screening and delivery within the integration of emerging mobile health (mHealth) technology. In this communication, we discuss the feasibility of an integrated point-of-care biosensor system with mobile health for wastewater-based epidemiology (iBMW) for early warning of COVID-19, screening and diagnosis of potential infectors, and improving health care and public health. The iBMW will provide an effective approach to prevent, evaluate and intervene in a fast, affordable and reliable way, thus enabling real-time guidance for the government in providing effective intervention and evaluating the effectiveness of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
| | - Zhugen Yang
- Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, United Kingdom.
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260
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Arora S, Nag A, Sethi J, Rajvanshi J, Saxena S, Shrivastava SK, Gupta AB. Sewage surveillance for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genome as a useful wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) tracking tool in India. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2020. [PMID: 33341773 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.18.20135277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The infection with SARS-CoV-2 is reported to be accompanied by the shedding of the virus in fecal samples of infected patients. Earlier reports have suggested that COVID-19 agents can be present in the sewage samples and thus it can be a good indication of the pandemic extent in a community. However, no such studies have been reported in the Indian context. Hence, it becomes absolutely necessary to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serving different localities of Jaipur city. Samples from different WWTPs and hospital wastewater samples were collected and wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) studies were carried out using the RT-PCR to confirm the presence of different COVID-19 target genes namely S gene, E gene, ORF1ab gene, RdRp gene and N gene. The results revealed that the untreated wastewater samples showed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral genome, which was correlated with the increased number of COVID-19 positive patients from the concerned areas, as reported in the publically available health data. This is the first study that investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral genome in wastewater, at higher ambient temperature (45 °C), further validating WBE as potential tool in predicting and mitigating outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipti Arora
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Aditi Nag
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Jasmine Sethi
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Jayana Rajvanshi
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Sonika Saxena
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Sandeep K Shrivastava
- Centre for Innovation, Research & Development (CIRD), Dr B. Lal Clinical Laboratory Pvt. Ltd, Jaipur, India
| | - A B Gupta
- Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India
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261
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Arora S, Nag A, Sethi J, Rajvanshi J, Saxena S, Shrivastava SK, Gupta AB. Sewage surveillance for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genome as a useful wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) tracking tool in India. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2020; 82:2823-2836. [PMID: 33341773 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The infection with SARS-CoV-2 is reported to be accompanied by the shedding of the virus in fecal samples of infected patients. Earlier reports have suggested that COVID-19 agents can be present in the sewage samples and thus it can be a good indication of the pandemic extent in a community. However, no such studies have been reported in the Indian context. Hence, it becomes absolutely necessary to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) serving different localities of Jaipur city. Samples from different WWTPs and hospital wastewater samples were collected and wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) studies were carried out using the RT-PCR to confirm the presence of different COVID-19 target genes namely S gene, E gene, ORF1ab gene, RdRp gene and N gene. The results revealed that the untreated wastewater samples showed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral genome, which was correlated with the increased number of COVID-19 positive patients from the concerned areas, as reported in the publically available health data. This is the first study that investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral genome in wastewater, at higher ambient temperature (45 °C), further validating WBE as potential tool in predicting and mitigating outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipti Arora
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Aditi Nag
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Jasmine Sethi
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Jayana Rajvanshi
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Sonika Saxena
- Dr. B. Lal Institute of Biotechnology, 6E, Malviya Industrial Area, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur 302017, India E-mail:
| | - Sandeep K Shrivastava
- Centre for Innovation, Research & Development (CIRD), Dr B. Lal Clinical Laboratory Pvt. Ltd, Jaipur, India
| | - A B Gupta
- Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India
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262
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Ashraf S, Kuang J, Das U, Bicchieri C. Sanitation Practices during Early Phases of COVID-19 Lockdown in Peri-Urban Communities in Tamil Nadu, India. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 103:2012-2018. [PMID: 32996450 PMCID: PMC7646818 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In countries without adequate access to improved sanitation, government-imposed restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic can impact toilet usage. In India, where millions have recently transitioned to using a toilet, pandemic-related barriers to use might increase open defecation practices. We assessed changes in reported defecation practices in peri-urban communities in Tamil Nadu. Field assistants conducted phone surveys in 26 communities in two districts from May 20, 2020 to May 25, 2020. They asked respondents about their access to a toilet, whether they or a family member left their house to defecate in the past week, and whether specific practices had changed since the lockdown. Among 2,044 respondents, 60% had access to a private toilet, 11% to a public or community toilet, whereas 29% lacked access to any toilet facility. In our study, 92% of the respondents did not change their defecation behaviors in the 2 months following the pandemic-related lockdown. About a third (27%) reported that they or a family member left their house daily to defecate amid lockdown measures. A majority of those with private toilets (91%) or with public toilets (69%) continued using them. Respondents with private toilet access were more likely to report an increased frequency of handwashing with soap (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.04–3.05) since the lockdown. The lack of private toilets contributes to the need to leave the house amid a lockdown. Maintaining shared toilets require disinfection protocols and behavioral precautions to limit the risk of fomite transmission. Robust urban COVID-19 control strategies should include enhanced sanitation facility management and safe usage messaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sania Ashraf
- Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jinyi Kuang
- Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Upasak Das
- Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Bicchieri
- Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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263
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DePaul A. How to shift into COVID-19 research. Nature 2020:10.1038/d41586-020-03298-x. [PMID: 33219349 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-020-03298-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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264
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Guerrero-Latorre L, Ballesteros I, Villacrés-Granda I, Granda MG, Freire-Paspuel B, Ríos-Touma B. SARS-CoV-2 in river water: Implications in low sanitation countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140832. [PMID: 32679506 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.14.20131201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic studies on viral shedding have reported that this virus is excreted in feces in most patients. High viral loads are found at the sewage pipeline or at the entrance of wastewater treatment plants from cities where the number of COVID-19 cases are significant. In Quito (Ecuador) as in many other cities worldwide, wastewater is directly discharged into natural waters. The aim of this study was to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 presence in urban streams from a low sanitation context. Three river locations along the urban rivers of Quito were sampled on the 5th of June during a peak of COVID-19 cases. River samples were evaluated for water quality parameters and afterwards, concentrated for viral analysis using skimmed milk flocculation method. The viral concentrates were quantified for SARS-CoV-2 (N1 and N2 target regions) and Human Adenovirus as a human viral indicator. The results showed that SARS-CoV-2 was detected for both target regions in all samples analyzed in a range of 2,91E+05 to 3,19E+06 GC/L for N1 and from 2,07E+05 to 2,22E+06 GC/L for N2. The high values detected in natural waters from a low sanitation region have several implications in health and ecology that should be further assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Guerrero-Latorre
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador; Department of Biology, Area of Microbiology, University of Girona, Spain
| | - Isabel Ballesteros
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador
| | | | | | | | - Blanca Ríos-Touma
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador.
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265
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Guerrero-Latorre L, Ballesteros I, Villacrés-Granda I, Granda MG, Freire-Paspuel B, Ríos-Touma B. SARS-CoV-2 in river water: Implications in low sanitation countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140832. [PMID: 32679506 PMCID: PMC7343659 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic studies on viral shedding have reported that this virus is excreted in feces in most patients. High viral loads are found at the sewage pipeline or at the entrance of wastewater treatment plants from cities where the number of COVID-19 cases are significant. In Quito (Ecuador) as in many other cities worldwide, wastewater is directly discharged into natural waters. The aim of this study was to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 presence in urban streams from a low sanitation context. Three river locations along the urban rivers of Quito were sampled on the 5th of June during a peak of COVID-19 cases. River samples were evaluated for water quality parameters and afterwards, concentrated for viral analysis using skimmed milk flocculation method. The viral concentrates were quantified for SARS-CoV-2 (N1 and N2 target regions) and Human Adenovirus as a human viral indicator. The results showed that SARS-CoV-2 was detected for both target regions in all samples analyzed in a range of 2,91E+05 to 3,19E+06 GC/L for N1 and from 2,07E+05 to 2,22E+06 GC/L for N2. The high values detected in natural waters from a low sanitation region have several implications in health and ecology that should be further assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Guerrero-Latorre
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador; Department of Biology, Area of Microbiology, University of Girona, Spain
| | - Isabel Ballesteros
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador
| | | | | | | | - Blanca Ríos-Touma
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Ecuador.
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266
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Gonzalez R, Curtis K, Bivins A, Bibby K, Weir MH, Yetka K, Thompson H, Keeling D, Mitchell J, Gonzalez D. COVID-19 surveillance in Southeastern Virginia using wastewater-based epidemiology. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 186:116296. [PMID: 32841929 PMCID: PMC7424388 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 288] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been used to analyze markers in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent to characterize emerging chemicals, drug use patterns, or disease spread within communities. This approach can be particularly helpful in understanding outbreaks of disease like the novel Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) when combined with clinical datasets. In this study, three RT-ddPCR assays (N1, N2, N3) were used to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in weekly samples from nine WWTPs in southeastern Virginia. In the first several weeks of sampling, SARS-CoV-2 detections were sporadic. Frequency of detections and overall concentrations of RNA within samples increased from mid March into late July. During the twenty-one week study, SARS-CoV-2 concentrations ranged from 101 to 104 copies 100 mL-1 in samples where viral RNA was detected. Fluctuations in population normalized loading rates in several of the WWTP service areas agreed with known outbreaks during the study. Here we propose several ways that data can be presented spatially and temporally to be of greatest use to public health officials. As the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, it is likely that communities will see increased incidence of small, localized outbreaks. In these instances, WBE could be used as a pre-screening tool to better target clinical testing needs in communities with limited resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Gonzalez
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States.
| | - Kyle Curtis
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 156, Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 156, Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
| | - Mark H Weir
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University,1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH43210, United States
| | - Kathleen Yetka
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States
| | - Hannah Thompson
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States
| | - David Keeling
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States
| | - Jamie Mitchell
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States
| | - Dana Gonzalez
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States
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267
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Hofstra N, Medema G, Vermeulen LC. Reflection on health-environment research in the light of emerging infectious diseases: modelling water quality and health. CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY 2020; 46:8-10. [PMID: 33520020 PMCID: PMC7833816 DOI: 10.1016/j.cosust.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nynke Hofstra
- Water Systems and Global Change Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gertjan Medema
- Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- KWR Water Research Institute, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Lucie C Vermeulen
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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268
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Haramoto E, Malla B, Thakali O, Kitajima M. First environmental surveillance for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and river water in Japan. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:140405. [PMID: 32783878 PMCID: PMC7305903 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 394] [Impact Index Per Article: 98.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is a powerful tool to understand the actual incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a community because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, can be shed in the feces of infected individuals regardless of their symptoms. The present study aimed to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and river water in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, using four quantitative and two nested PCR assays. Influent and secondary-treated (before chlorination) wastewater samples and river water samples were collected five times from a wastewater treatment plant and three times from a river, respectively, between March 17 and May 7, 2020. The wastewater and river water samples (200-5000 mL) were processed by using two different methods: the electronegative membrane-vortex (EMV) method and the membrane adsorption-direct RNA extraction method. Based on the observed concentrations of indigenous pepper mild mottle virus RNA, the EMV method was found superior to the membrane adsorption-direct RNA extraction method. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was successfully detected in one of five secondary-treated wastewater samples with a concentration of 2.4 × 103 copies/L by N_Sarbeco qPCR assay following the EMV method, with sequence confirmation of the qPCR product, whereas all the influent samples were tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This result could be attributed to higher limit of detection for influent (4.0 × 103-8.2 × 104 copies/L) with a lower filtration volume (200 mL) compared to that for secondary-treated wastewater (1.4 × 102-2.5 × 103 copies/L) with a higher filtration volume of 5000 mL. None of the river water samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Comparison with the reported COVID-19 cases in Yamanashi Prefecture showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in the secondary-treated wastewater sample when the cases peaked in the community. This is the first study reporting the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Haramoto
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan.
| | - Bikash Malla
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
| | - Ocean Thakali
- Environmental and Social System Science Course, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
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269
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Thompson JR, Nancharaiah YV, Gu X, Lee WL, Rajal VB, Haines MB, Girones R, Ng LC, Alm EJ, Wuertz S. Making waves: Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 for population-based health management. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 184:116181. [PMID: 32707307 PMCID: PMC7357518 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, clinical data remain the gold standard for disease surveillance and tracking. However, such data are limited due to factors such as reporting bias and inability to track asymptomatic disease carriers. Disease agents are excreted in the urine and feces of infected individuals regardless of disease symptom severity. Wastewater surveillance - that is, monitoring disease via human effluent - represents a valuable complement to clinical approaches. Because wastewater is relatively inexpensive and easy to collect and can be monitored at different levels of population aggregation as needed, wastewater surveillance can offer a real-time, cost-effective view of a community's health that is independent of biases associated with case-reporting. For SARS-CoV-2 and other disease-causing agents we envision an aggregate wastewater-monitoring system at the level of a wastewater treatment plant and exploratory or confirmatory monitoring of the sewerage system at the neighborhood scale to identify or confirm clusters of infection or assess impact of control measures where transmission has been established. Implementation will require constructing a framework with collaborating government agencies, public or private utilities, and civil society organizations for appropriate use of data collected from wastewater, identification of an appropriate scale of sample collection and aggregation to balance privacy concerns and risk of stigmatization with public health preservation, and consideration of the social implications of wastewater surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle R Thompson
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore; Asian School of the Environment, NTU, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore.
| | - Yarlagadda V Nancharaiah
- Biofouling and Biofilm Processes, Water and Steam Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam 603102, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, BARC Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Trombay, Mumbai 400 094, India
| | - Xiaoqiong Gu
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Lin Lee
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Verónica B Rajal
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore; Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química (INIQUI), CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Salta (UNSa), Av. Bolivia 5150, Salta 4400, Argentina; Facultad de Ingeniería, UNSa, Salta, Argentina
| | - Monamie B Haines
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; School of Social Sciences, Sociology Division, NTU, Singapore
| | - Rosina Girones
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal, 643, 08028-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lee Ching Ng
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore
| | - Eric J Alm
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Departments of Biological Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States; Biobot Analytics, Cambridge MA, United States
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NTU, Singapore.
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270
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Haramoto E, Malla B, Thakali O, Kitajima M. First environmental surveillance for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and river water in Japan. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:140405. [PMID: 32783878 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.04.20122747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is a powerful tool to understand the actual incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a community because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, can be shed in the feces of infected individuals regardless of their symptoms. The present study aimed to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and river water in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, using four quantitative and two nested PCR assays. Influent and secondary-treated (before chlorination) wastewater samples and river water samples were collected five times from a wastewater treatment plant and three times from a river, respectively, between March 17 and May 7, 2020. The wastewater and river water samples (200-5000 mL) were processed by using two different methods: the electronegative membrane-vortex (EMV) method and the membrane adsorption-direct RNA extraction method. Based on the observed concentrations of indigenous pepper mild mottle virus RNA, the EMV method was found superior to the membrane adsorption-direct RNA extraction method. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was successfully detected in one of five secondary-treated wastewater samples with a concentration of 2.4 × 103 copies/L by N_Sarbeco qPCR assay following the EMV method, with sequence confirmation of the qPCR product, whereas all the influent samples were tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This result could be attributed to higher limit of detection for influent (4.0 × 103-8.2 × 104 copies/L) with a lower filtration volume (200 mL) compared to that for secondary-treated wastewater (1.4 × 102-2.5 × 103 copies/L) with a higher filtration volume of 5000 mL. None of the river water samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Comparison with the reported COVID-19 cases in Yamanashi Prefecture showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in the secondary-treated wastewater sample when the cases peaked in the community. This is the first study reporting the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Haramoto
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan.
| | - Bikash Malla
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
| | - Ocean Thakali
- Environmental and Social System Science Course, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
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271
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Haramoto E, Malla B, Thakali O, Kitajima M. First environmental surveillance for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and river water in Japan. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:140405. [PMID: 32783878 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.04.201227472020.06.04.20122747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is a powerful tool to understand the actual incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a community because severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, can be shed in the feces of infected individuals regardless of their symptoms. The present study aimed to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and river water in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, using four quantitative and two nested PCR assays. Influent and secondary-treated (before chlorination) wastewater samples and river water samples were collected five times from a wastewater treatment plant and three times from a river, respectively, between March 17 and May 7, 2020. The wastewater and river water samples (200-5000 mL) were processed by using two different methods: the electronegative membrane-vortex (EMV) method and the membrane adsorption-direct RNA extraction method. Based on the observed concentrations of indigenous pepper mild mottle virus RNA, the EMV method was found superior to the membrane adsorption-direct RNA extraction method. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was successfully detected in one of five secondary-treated wastewater samples with a concentration of 2.4 × 103 copies/L by N_Sarbeco qPCR assay following the EMV method, with sequence confirmation of the qPCR product, whereas all the influent samples were tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This result could be attributed to higher limit of detection for influent (4.0 × 103-8.2 × 104 copies/L) with a lower filtration volume (200 mL) compared to that for secondary-treated wastewater (1.4 × 102-2.5 × 103 copies/L) with a higher filtration volume of 5000 mL. None of the river water samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Comparison with the reported COVID-19 cases in Yamanashi Prefecture showed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in the secondary-treated wastewater sample when the cases peaked in the community. This is the first study reporting the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Haramoto
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan.
| | - Bikash Malla
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
| | - Ocean Thakali
- Environmental and Social System Science Course, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
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272
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Medema G, Been F, Heijnen L, Petterson S. Implementation of environmental surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 virus to support public health decisions: Opportunities and challenges. CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH 2020; 17:49-71. [PMID: 33024908 PMCID: PMC7528975 DOI: 10.1016/j.coesh.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Analysing wastewater can be used to track infectious disease agents that are shed via stool and urine. Sewage surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 has been suggested as a tool to determine the extent of COVID-19 in cities and serve as an early warning for (re-)emergence of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in communities. The focus of this review is on the strength of evidence, opportunities and challenges for the application of sewage surveillance to inform public health decision making. Considerations for undertaking sampling programs are reviewed including sampling sites, strategies, sample transport, storage and quantification methods; together with the approach and evidence base for quantifying prevalence of infection from measured wastewater concentration. Published SARS-CoV-2 sewage surveillance studies (11 peer reviewed and 10 preprints) were reviewed to demonstrate the current status of implementation to support public health decisions. Although being very promising, a number of areas were identified requiring additional research to further strengthen this approach and take full advantage of its potential. In particular, design of adequate sampling strategies, spatial and temporal resolution of sampling, sample storage, replicate sampling and analysis, controls for the molecular methods used for the quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. The use of appropriate prevalence data and methods to correlate or even translate SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater to prevalence of virus shedders in the population is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gertjan Medema
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, Nieuwegein, 3433 PE, the Netherlands
- Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, Delft, 2628 CN, the Netherlands
- Michigan State University, 1405 S Harrison Rd, East-Lansing, Michigan, 48823, USA
| | - Frederic Been
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, Nieuwegein, 3433 PE, the Netherlands
| | - Leo Heijnen
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, Nieuwegein, 3433 PE, the Netherlands
| | - Susan Petterson
- Water & Health Pty Ltd, North Sydney, 2060, Australia
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia
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273
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Ahmed W, Bivins A, Bertsch PM, Bibby K, Choi PM, Farkas K, Gyawali P, Hamilton KA, Haramoto E, Kitajima M, Simpson SL, Tandukar S, Thomas K, Mueller JF. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater: Methods optimisation and quality control are crucial for generating reliable public health information. CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH 2020. [PMID: 33052320 DOI: 10.1016/j.coesh.2020c.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater through the process of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides an additional surveillance tool, contributing to community-based screening and prevention efforts as these measurements have preceded disease cases in some instances. Numerous detections of SARS-CoV-2 RNA have been reported globally using various methods, demonstrating the technical feasibility of routine monitoring. However, in order to reliably interpret data produced from these efforts for informing public health interventions, additional quality control information and standardization in sampling design, sample processing, and data interpretation and reporting is needed. This review summarizes published studies of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater as well as available information regarding concentration, extraction, and detection methods. The review highlights areas for potential standardization including considerations related to sampling timing and frequency relative to peak fecal loading times; inclusion of appropriate information on sample volume collected; sample collection points; transport and storage conditions; sample concentration and processing; RNA extraction process and performance; effective volumes; PCR inhibition; process controls throughout sample collection and processing; PCR standard curve performance; and recovery efficiency testing. Researchers are recommended to follow the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR (MIQE) guidelines. Adhering to these recommendations will enable robust interpretation of wastewater monitoring results and improved inferences regarding the relationship between monitoring results and disease cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
- Environmental Change Initiative, 721 Flanner Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
| | - Paul M Bertsch
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
| | - Phil M Choi
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102
| | - Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Pradip Gyawali
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Porirua, 5240, New Zealand
| | - Kerry A Hamilton
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ, 85287
| | - Eiji Haramoto
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4 - 3 -11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi, 400 -8511, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0032, Japan
| | | | - Sarmila Tandukar
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4 - 3 -11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi, 400 -8511, Japan
| | - Kevin Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102
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274
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Ahmed W, Bivins A, Bertsch PM, Bibby K, Choi PM, Farkas K, Gyawali P, Hamilton KA, Haramoto E, Kitajima M, Simpson SL, Tandukar S, Thomas K, Mueller JF. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater: Methods optimisation and quality control are crucial for generating reliable public health information. CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH 2020; 17:S2468-5844(20)30060-X. [PMID: 33052320 PMCID: PMC7544017 DOI: 10.1016/j.coesh.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater through the process of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides an additional surveillance tool, contributing to community-based screening and prevention efforts as these measurements have preceded disease cases in some instances. Numerous detections of SARS-CoV-2 RNA have been reported globally using various methods, demonstrating the technical feasibility of routine monitoring. However, in order to reliably interpret data produced from these efforts for informing public health interventions, additional quality control information and standardization in sampling design, sample processing, and data interpretation and reporting is needed. This review summarizes published studies of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater as well as available information regarding concentration, extraction, and detection methods. The review highlights areas for potential standardization including considerations related to sampling timing and frequency relative to peak fecal loading times; inclusion of appropriate information on sample volume collected; sample collection points; transport and storage conditions; sample concentration and processing; RNA extraction process and performance; effective volumes; PCR inhibition; process controls throughout sample collection and processing; PCR standard curve performance; and recovery efficiency testing. Researchers are recommended to follow the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR (MIQE) guidelines. Adhering to these recommendations will enable robust interpretation of wastewater monitoring results and improved inferences regarding the relationship between monitoring results and disease cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
- Environmental Change Initiative, 721 Flanner Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
| | - Paul M Bertsch
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46656, USA
| | - Phil M Choi
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102
| | - Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Pradip Gyawali
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Porirua, 5240, New Zealand
| | - Kerry A Hamilton
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ, 85287
| | - Eiji Haramoto
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4 - 3 -11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi, 400 -8511, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0032, Japan
| | | | - Sarmila Tandukar
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4 - 3 -11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi, 400 -8511, Japan
| | - Kevin Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102
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275
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Fate of COVID-19 Occurrences in Wastewater Systems: Emerging Detection and Treatment Technologies—A Review. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12102680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is currently posing a significant threat to the world’s public health and social-economic growth. Despite the rigorous international lockdown and quarantine efforts, the rate of COVID-19 infectious cases remains exceptionally high. Notwithstanding, the end route of COVID-19, together with emerging contaminants’ (antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, nanoplastics, pesticide, etc.) occurrence in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), poses a great challenge in wastewater settings. Therefore, this paper seeks to review an inter-disciplinary and technological approach as a roadmap for the water and wastewater settings to help fight COVID-19 and future waves of pandemics. This study explored wastewater–based epidemiology (WBE) potential for detecting SARS-CoV-2 and its metabolites in wastewater settings. Furthermore, the prospects of integrating innovative and robust technologies such as magnetic nanotechnology, advanced oxidation process, biosensors, and membrane bioreactors into the WWTPs to augment the risk of COVID-19’s environmental impacts and improve water quality are discussed. In terms of the diagnostics of COVID-19, potential biosensors such as sample–answer chip-, paper- and nanomaterials-based biosensors are highlighted. In conclusion, sewage treatment systems, together with magnetic biosensor diagnostics and WBE, could be a possible way to keep a surveillance on the outbreak of COVID-19 in communities around the globe, thereby identifying hotspots and curbing the diagnostic costs of testing. Photocatalysis prospects are high to inactivate coronavirus, and therefore a focus on safe nanotechnology and bioengineering should be encouraged.
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276
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Kumar M, Mohapatra S, Mazumder P, Singh A, Honda R, Lin C, Kumari R, Goswami R, Jha PK, Vithanage M, Kuroda K. Making Waves Perspectives of Modelling and Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in Aquatic Environment for COVID-19 Pandemic. CURRENT POLLUTION REPORTS 2020; 6:468-479. [PMID: 32953402 PMCID: PMC7486595 DOI: 10.1007/s40726-020-00161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the aquatic environment pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global concern. Though SARS-CoV-2 is known as a respiratory virus, its detection in faecal matter and wastewater demonstrates its enteric involvement resulting in vulnerable aquatic environment. Here, we provide the latest updates on wastewater-based epidemiology, which is gaining interest in the current situation as a unique tool of surveillance and monitoring of the disease. Transport pathways with its migration through wastewater to surface and subsurface waters, probability of infectivity and ways of inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 are discussed in detail. Epidemiological models, especially compartmental projections, have been explained with an emphasis on its limitation and the assumptions on which the future predictions of disease propagation are based. Besides, this review covers various predictive models to track and project disease spread in the future and gives an insight into the probability of a future outbreak of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- Discipline of Earth Science, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Room No. 336A, Block 5, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355 India
- Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355 India
| | - Sanjeeb Mohapatra
- Environmnetal Science and Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076 India
| | - Payal Mazumder
- Centre for the Environment, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039 India
| | - Ashwin Singh
- Discipline of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355 India
| | - Ryo Honda
- Faculty of Geosciences and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 9201192 Japan
| | - Chuxia Lin
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rina Kumari
- School of Environment and Sustainable Development, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382030 India
| | - Ritusmita Goswami
- Department of Environmental Science, The Assam Royal Global University, Guwahati, Assam 781035 India
| | - Pawan Kumar Jha
- Center of Environmental Science, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211002 India
| | - Meththika Vithanage
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Centre, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Keisuke Kuroda
- Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, Imizu, 9390398 Japan
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277
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Randazzo W, Cuevas-Ferrando E, Sanjuán R, Domingo-Calap P, Sánchez G. Metropolitan wastewater analysis for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 230:113621. [PMID: 32911123 PMCID: PMC7462597 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a rapidly emerging pandemic which has enforced extreme containment measures worldwide. In the absence of a vaccine or efficient treatment, cost-effective epidemiological surveillance strategies are urgently needed. Here, we have used RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a series of longitudinal metropolitan wastewaters samples collected from February to April 2020, during the earliest stages of the epidemic in the Region of Valencia, Spain. We were able to consistently detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in samples taken in late February, when communicated cases in that region were only incipient. We also find that the wastewater viral RNA context increased rapidly and anticipated the subsequent ascent in the number of declared cases. Our results strongly suggest that the virus was undergoing community transmission earlier than previously believed, and suggest that wastewater analysis could be sensitive and cost-effective strategy for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance. Routine implementation of this surveillance tool would significantly improve our preparedness against new or re-occurring viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Randazzo
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, 46980, Valencia, Spain; Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Universitat de València, Av. Dr. Moliner, 50, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enric Cuevas-Ferrando
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, 46980, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, I(2)SysBio, Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980, Paterna, Spain
| | - Pilar Domingo-Calap
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, I(2)SysBio, Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980, Paterna, Spain; Department of Genetics, Universitat de València, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
| | - Gloria Sánchez
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, 46980, Valencia, Spain.
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278
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Randazzo W, Cuevas-Ferrando E, Sanjuán R, Domingo-Calap P, Sánchez G. Metropolitan wastewater analysis for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020. [PMID: 32911123 DOI: 10.1101/2020.04.23.20076679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a rapidly emerging pandemic which has enforced extreme containment measures worldwide. In the absence of a vaccine or efficient treatment, cost-effective epidemiological surveillance strategies are urgently needed. Here, we have used RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a series of longitudinal metropolitan wastewaters samples collected from February to April 2020, during the earliest stages of the epidemic in the Region of Valencia, Spain. We were able to consistently detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in samples taken in late February, when communicated cases in that region were only incipient. We also find that the wastewater viral RNA context increased rapidly and anticipated the subsequent ascent in the number of declared cases. Our results strongly suggest that the virus was undergoing community transmission earlier than previously believed, and suggest that wastewater analysis could be sensitive and cost-effective strategy for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance. Routine implementation of this surveillance tool would significantly improve our preparedness against new or re-occurring viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Randazzo
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, 46980, Valencia, Spain; Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Universitat de València, Av. Dr. Moliner, 50, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enric Cuevas-Ferrando
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, 46980, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, I(2)SysBio, Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980, Paterna, Spain
| | - Pilar Domingo-Calap
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, I(2)SysBio, Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980, Paterna, Spain; Department of Genetics, Universitat de València, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
| | - Gloria Sánchez
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, 46980, Valencia, Spain.
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279
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Hui Q, Pan Y, Yang Z. Paper-based devices for rapid diagnostics and testing sewage for early warning of COVID-19 outbreak. CASE STUDIES IN CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2020; 2:100064. [PMID: 38620545 PMCID: PMC7700740 DOI: 10.1016/j.cscee.2020.100064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, evolved into a global pandemic in 2020, and the outbreak has taken an enormous toll on individuals, families, communities and societies around the world. One practical and effective strategy is to implement rapid case identification based on a rapid testing to respond to this public health crisis. Currently, the available technologies used for rapid diagnostics include RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, ELISA and NGS. Still, due to their different limitations, they are not well suited for rapid diagnosis in a variety of locations. Paper-based devices are alternative approaches to achieve rapid diagnosis, which are cost-effective, highly selective, sensitive, portable, and easy-to-use. In addition to individual virus screening, wastewater-based epidemiology has been emerged to be an effective way for early warning of outbreak within the population, which tests viral genome sequence to reflect information on the spread and distribution of the virus because SARS-CoV-2 can be shed into wastewater through the feces and urine from infected population. In this paper, we describe paper-based device as a low-cost and rapid sensor for both diagnosis and testing of sewage for early warning of outbreak. More importantly, the device has great potential for real-time detection in the field, without any advanced facilities or well-trained and skilled personnel, and provides early warning or timely intervention of an outbreak of pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxin Hui
- Cranfield Water Science Institute, School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Yuwei Pan
- Cranfield Water Science Institute, School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK
| | - Zhugen Yang
- Cranfield Water Science Institute, School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK
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280
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Feng W, Newbigging AM, Le C, Pang B, Peng H, Cao Y, Wu J, Abbas G, Song J, Wang DB, Cui M, Tao J, Tyrrell DL, Zhang XE, Zhang H, Le XC. Molecular Diagnosis of COVID-19: Challenges and Research Needs. Anal Chem 2020; 92:10196-10209. [PMID: 32573207 PMCID: PMC7346719 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Molecular diagnosis of COVID-19 primarily relies on the detection of RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative infectious agent of the pandemic. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) enables sensitive detection of specific sequences of genes that encode the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), nucleocapsid (N), envelope (E), and spike (S) proteins of the virus. Although RT-PCR tests have been widely used and many alternative assays have been developed, the current testing capacity and availability cannot meet the unprecedented global demands for rapid, reliable, and widely accessible molecular diagnosis. Challenges remain throughout the entire analytical process, from the collection and treatment of specimens to the amplification and detection of viral RNA and the validation of clinical sensitivity and specificity. We highlight the main issues surrounding molecular diagnosis of COVID-19, including false negatives from the detection of viral RNA, temporal variations of viral loads, selection and treatment of specimens, and limiting factors in detecting viral proteins. We discuss critical research needs, such as improvements in RT-PCR, development of alternative nucleic acid amplification techniques, incorporating CRISPR technology for point-of-care (POC) applications, validation of POC tests, and sequencing of viral RNA and its mutations. Improved assays are also needed for environmental surveillance or wastewater-based epidemiology, which gauges infection on the community level through analyses of viral components in the community's wastewater. Public health surveillance benefits from large-scale analyses of antibodies in serum, although the current serological tests do not quantify neutralizing antibodies. Further advances in analytical technology and research through multidisciplinary collaboration will contribute to the development of mitigation strategies, therapeutics, and vaccines. Lessons learned from molecular diagnosis of COVID-19 are valuable for better preparedness in response to other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Feng
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - Ashley M. Newbigging
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - Connie Le
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Department of
Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2E1
| | - Bo Pang
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - Hanyong Peng
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - Yiren Cao
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - Jinjun Wu
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - Ghulam Abbas
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of
Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road,
Beijing, China 100101
| | - Jin Song
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of
Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road,
Beijing, China 100101
| | - Dian-Bing Wang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of
Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road,
Beijing, China 100101
| | - Mengmeng Cui
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of
Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road,
Beijing, China 100101
| | - Jeffrey Tao
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - D. Lorne Tyrrell
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Department of
Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2E1
| | - Xian-En Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of
Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road,
Beijing, China 100101
| | - Hongquan Zhang
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
| | - X. Chris Le
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology,
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada T6G 2G3
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281
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Capone D, Berendes D, Cumming O, Knee J, Nalá R, Risk BB, Stauber C, Zhu K, Brown J. Analysis of fecal sludges reveals common enteric pathogens in urban Maputo, Mozambique. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2020; 7:889-895. [PMID: 38881628 PMCID: PMC11177333 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Sewage surveillance is increasingly used in public health applications: metabolites, biomarkers, and pathogens are detectable in wastewater and can provide useful information about community health. Work on this topic has been limited to wastewaters in mainly high-income settings, however. In low-income countries, where the burden of enteric infection is high, non-sewered sanitation predominates. In order to assess the utility of fecal sludge surveillance as a tool to identify the most prevalent enteric pathogens circulating among at-risk children, we collected 95 matched child stool and fecal sludge samples from household clusters sharing latrines in urban Maputo, Mozambique. We analyzed samples for 20 common enteric pathogens via multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. Among the 95 stools matched to fecal sludges, we detected the six most prevalent bacterial pathogens (Enteroaggregative E. coli, Shigella/Enteroinvasive E. coli, Enterotoxigenic E. coli, Enteropathogenic E. coli, shiga-toxin producing E. coli, Salmonella) and all three protozoan pathogens (Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Entamoeba histolytica) in the same rank order in both matrices. We did not observe the same trend for viral pathogens or soil-transmitted helminths, however. Our results suggest that sampling fecal sludges from onsite sanitation offers potential for localized pathogen surveillance in low-income settings where enteric pathogen prevalence is high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Capone
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431, United States
| | - David Berendes
- Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, 30329, United States of America
| | - Oliver Cumming
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jackie Knee
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rassul Nalá
- Ministério da Saúde, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Benjamin B. Risk
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States of America
| | - Christine Stauber
- School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30302, United States of America
| | - Kevin Zhu
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, United States of America
| | - Joe Brown
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7431, United States
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