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Zambre S, Katarmal P, Pawar S, Dawkhar S, Iyer P, Rajput V, Kadam P, Bhalerao U, Tupekar M, Shah P, Karmodiya K, Dharne M, Roy B, Koraktar S. Wastewater surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 in open drains of two Indian megacities captures evolutionary lineage transitions: a zonation approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:49670-49681. [PMID: 39078552 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34448-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater-based environmental surveillance (WBES) has been proven as proxy tool for monitoring nucleic acids of pathogens shed by infected population before clinical outcomes. The poor sewershed network of low to middle-income countries (LMICs) leads to most of the wastewater flow through open drains. We studied the effectiveness of WBES using open drain samples to monitor the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 variants in 2 megacities of India having dense population through zonation approach. Samples from 28 locations spanned into 5 zones of Pune region, Maharashtra, India, were collected on a weekly basis during October 2021 to July 2022. Out of 1115 total processed samples, 303 (~ 27%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The periodical rise and fall in the percentage positivity of the samples was found to be in sync with the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and the reported COVID-19 active cases for Pune city. Sequencing of the RNA obtained from wastewater samples confirmed the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Of 337 sequences, lineage identification for 242 samples revealed 265 distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants including 10 highly transmissible ones. Importantly, transition from Delta to Omicron variant could be detected in wastewater samples 2 weeks prior to any clinically reported Omicron cases in India. Thus, this study demonstrates the usefulness of open drain samples for real-time monitoring of a viral pathogen's evolutionary dynamics and could be implemented in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saee Zambre
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Lavale, Maharashtra, India
| | - Poonam Katarmal
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Lavale, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shubhankar Pawar
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Lavale, Maharashtra, India
| | - Snehal Dawkhar
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Lavale, Maharashtra, India
| | - Parvati Iyer
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Lavale, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vinay Rajput
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Pradnya Kadam
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Maharashtra, 41108, India
| | - Unnati Bhalerao
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Maharashtra, 41108, India
| | - Manisha Tupekar
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Maharashtra, 41108, India
| | - Priyanki Shah
- Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Maharashtra, 41108, India
| | - Mahesh Dharne
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Bishnudeo Roy
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Lavale, Maharashtra, India
| | - Santosh Koraktar
- Symbiosis School of Biological Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Lavale, Maharashtra, India.
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Chen C, Kaur G, Adiga A, Espinoza B, Venkatramanan S, Warren A, Lewis B, Crow J, Singh R, Lorentz A, Toney D, Marathe M. Wastewater-based Epidemiology for COVID-19 Surveillance: A Survey. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2403.15291v1. [PMID: 38562450 PMCID: PMC10984000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The pandemic of COVID-19 has imposed tremendous pressure on public health systems and social economic ecosystems over the past years. To alleviate its social impact, it is important to proactively track the prevalence of COVID-19 within communities. The traditional way to estimate the disease prevalence is to estimate from reported clinical test data or surveys. However, the coverage of clinical tests is often limited and the tests can be labor-intensive, requires reliable and timely results, and consistent diagnostic and reporting criteria. Recent studies revealed that patients who are diagnosed with COVID-19 often undergo fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 virus into wastewater, which makes wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for COVID-19 surveillance a promising approach to complement traditional clinical testing. In this paper, we survey the existing literature regarding WBE for COVID-19 surveillance and summarize the current advances in the area. Specifically, we have covered the key aspects of wastewater sampling, sample testing, and presented a comprehensive and organized summary of wastewater data analytical methods. Finally, we provide the open challenges on current wastewater-based COVID-19 surveillance studies, aiming to encourage new ideas to advance the development of effective wastewater-based surveillance systems for general infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
| | - Gursharn Kaur
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
| | - Aniruddha Adiga
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
| | - Baltazar Espinoza
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
| | - Srinivasan Venkatramanan
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
| | - Andrew Warren
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
| | - Bryan Lewis
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
| | - Justin Crow
- Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, 23219, United States
| | - Rekha Singh
- Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, 23219, United States
| | - Alexandra Lorentz
- Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, Department of General Services, Richmond, 23219, United States
| | - Denise Toney
- Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, Department of General Services, Richmond, 23219, United States
| | - Madhav Marathe
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
- Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States
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3
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Cheng K, Lv Y, Li C, Cheng S, Xu S, Gao X, Xu H. Meta-analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in municipal wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:119. [PMID: 38483628 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01895-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 levels in urban sewage and evaluate the associated positivity rates, thereby developing comprehensive insights into the epidemic situation and providing valuable inputs for the development of effective disease prevention and control strategies. The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and VIP databases were systematically searched based on the predefined retrieval strategy. The literature published up to February 2023 was meticulously screened according to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the relevant data were extracted for subsequent integration. The quality assessment of the included studies adhered to the rigorous Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement guidelines. The meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 17.0 software. The meta-analysis included a total of 34 studies, encompassing 8429 municipal wastewater samples. A random effects model was employed for the analysis, revealing an overall SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate of 53.7% in the municipal wastewater samples. The subgroup analyses demonstrated significant regional variations in the SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in municipal wastewater, with Africa exhibiting the highest rate at 62.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 47.4 ~ 76.0%) and Oceania displaying the lowest at 33.3% (95% CI 22.0 ~ 46.3%). However, the subgroup analyses based on the sampling site, strain prevalence period, and laboratory testing method did not yield any statistically significant differences. The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in wastewater is relatively high globally, although it exhibits regional disparities. Regions with larger populations and lower economic levels demonstrate higher viral detection rates in sewage. Different types of wastewater sampling sites can be employed to monitor distinct aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuous surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater plays a pivotal role in complementing clinical data, helping to track outbreak progression across diverse regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyi Cheng
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ye Lv
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chaokang Li
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shi Cheng
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shanshan Xu
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Xu
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China.
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4
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Tran DPH, You BC, Liu CW, Chen YN, Wang YF, Chung SN, Lee JJ, You SJ. Identifying spatiotemporal trends of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater: from the perspective of upstream and downstream wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:11576-11590. [PMID: 38221556 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31769-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Recently, many efforts have been made to address the rapid spread of newly identified COVID-19 virus variants. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is considered a potential early warning tool for identifying the rapid spread of this virus. This study investigated the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in eight wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their sewerage systems which serve most of the population in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Across the entire study period, the wastewater viral concentrations were correlated with the number of COVID-19 cases in each WWTP (Spearman's r = 0.23-0.76). In addition, it is confirmed that several treatment technologies could effectively eliminate the virus RNA from WWTP influent (> 90%). On the other hand, further results revealed that an inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation and hotspot model combined with the geographic information system (GIS) method could be applied to analyze the spatiotemporal variations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from the sewer system. In addition, socio-economic factors, namely, population density, land use, and income tax were successfully identified as the potential drivers which substantially affected the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan. Finally, the data obtained from this study can provide a powerful tool in public health decision-making not only in response to the current epidemic situation but also to other epidemic issues in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duyen Phuc-Hanh Tran
- Department of Civil Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Bo-Cheng You
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chen-Wuing Liu
- Department of Water Resource, Taoyuan City Government, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ning Chen
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ya-Fen Wang
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Shu-Nu Chung
- Department of Water Resource, Taoyuan City Government, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jin-Jing Lee
- Department of Water Resource, Taoyuan City Government, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Jie You
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China.
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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5
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Baz Lomba JA, Pires J, Myrmel M, Arnø JK, Madslien EH, Langlete P, Amato E, Hyllestad S. Effectiveness of environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 as an early-warning system: Update of a systematic review during the second year of the pandemic. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2024; 22:197-234. [PMID: 38295081 PMCID: wh_2023_279 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2023.279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this updated systematic review was to offer an overview of the effectiveness of environmental surveillance (ES) of SARS-CoV-2 as a potential early-warning system (EWS) for COVID-19 and new variants of concerns (VOCs) during the second year of the pandemic. An updated literature search was conducted to evaluate the added value of ES of SARS-CoV-2 for public health decisions. The search for studies published between June 2021 and July 2022 resulted in 1,588 publications, identifying 331 articles for full-text screening. A total of 151 publications met our inclusion criteria for the assessment of the effectiveness of ES as an EWS and early detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants. We identified a further 30 publications among the grey literature. ES confirms its usefulness as an EWS for detecting new waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection with an average lead time of 1-2 weeks for most of the publication. ES could function as an EWS for new VOCs in areas with no registered cases or limited clinical capacity. Challenges in data harmonization and variant detection require standardized approaches and innovations for improved public health decision-making. ES confirms its potential to support public health decision-making and resource allocation in future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Antonio Baz Lomba
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway E-mail:
| | - João Pires
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; ECDC fellowship Programme, Public Health Microbiology path (EUPHEM), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Solna, Sweden
| | - Mette Myrmel
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Virology Unit, Norwegian University of Life Science (NMBU), Oslo, Norway
| | - Jorunn Karterud Arnø
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Henie Madslien
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Petter Langlete
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ettore Amato
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Susanne Hyllestad
- Department of Infection Control and Preparedness, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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6
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Acosta N, Dai X, Bautista MA, Waddell BJ, Lee J, Du K, McCalder J, Pradhan P, Papparis C, Lu X, Chekouo T, Krusina A, Southern D, Williamson T, Clark RG, Patterson RA, Westlund P, Meddings J, Ruecker N, Lammiman C, Duerr C, Achari G, Hrudey SE, Lee BE, Pang X, Frankowski K, Hubert CRJ, Parkins MD. Wastewater-based surveillance can be used to model COVID-19-associated workforce absenteeism. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165172. [PMID: 37379934 PMCID: PMC10292917 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) of infectious diseases is a powerful tool for understanding community COVID-19 disease burden and informing public health policy. The potential of WBS for understanding COVID-19's impact in non-healthcare settings has not been explored to the same degree. Here we examined how SARS-CoV-2 measured from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) correlates with workforce absenteeism. SARS-CoV-2 RNA N1 and N2 were quantified three times per week by RT-qPCR in samples collected at three WWTPs servicing Calgary and surrounding areas, Canada (1.4 million residents) between June 2020 and March 2022. Wastewater trends were compared to workforce absenteeism using data from the largest employer in the city (>15,000 staff). Absences were classified as being COVID-19-related, COVID-19-confirmed, and unrelated to COVID-19. Poisson regression was performed to generate a prediction model for COVID-19 absenteeism based on wastewater data. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 95.5 % (85/89) of weeks assessed. During this period 6592 COVID-19-related absences (1896 confirmed) and 4524 unrelated absences COVID-19 cases were recorded. A generalized linear regression using a Poisson distribution was performed to predict COVID-19-confirmed absences out of the total number of absent employees using wastewater data as a leading indicator (P < 0.0001). The Poisson regression with wastewater as a one-week leading signal has an Akaike information criterion (AIC) of 858, compared to a null model (excluding wastewater predictor) with an AIC of 1895. The likelihood-ratio test comparing the model with wastewater signal with the null model shows statistical significance (P < 0.0001). We also assessed the variation of predictions when the regression model was applied to new data, with the predicted values and corresponding confidence intervals closely tracking actual absenteeism data. Wastewater-based surveillance has the potential to be used by employers to anticipate workforce requirements and optimize human resource allocation in response to trackable respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Acosta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Xiaotian Dai
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Maria A Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Barbara J Waddell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jangwoo Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Kristine Du
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Janine McCalder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Puja Pradhan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Chloe Papparis
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Xuewen Lu
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Thierry Chekouo
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexander Krusina
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Danielle Southern
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Tyler Williamson
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Rhonda G Clark
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Raymond A Patterson
- Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, SH 250, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | | | - Jon Meddings
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Norma Ruecker
- Water Services, City of Calgary, 625 25 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 4k8, Canada
| | - Christopher Lammiman
- Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), City of Calgary, 673 1 St NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 6R2, Canada
| | - Coby Duerr
- Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), City of Calgary, 673 1 St NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 6R2, Canada
| | - Gopal Achari
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, 622 Collegiate Pl NW, T2N 4V8, Canada
| | - Steve E Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Bonita E Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Women & Children's Health Research Institute, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Xiaoli Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada; Alberta Precision Laboratories, Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Health Services, 116 St. and 85 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, 3131 210 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta T0L 0X0, Canada
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Michael D Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
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7
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Ibrahim C, Hammami S, Khelifi N, Hassen A. Detection of Enteroviruses and SARS-CoV-2 in Tunisian Wastewater. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2023; 15:224-235. [PMID: 37140767 PMCID: PMC10157586 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-023-09557-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the circulation of enteric viruses in environmental wastewater is a valuable tool for preventing the emergence of waterborne and food-borne diseases in humans. The detection of viruses was performed in five Tunisian wastewater treatment plants, three located in the Grand Tunis City (WWTP 1, WWTP 2, WWTP 3) and two in the Sahel of Tunisia (WWTP 4, WWTP 4), known as very developed and crowded zones, to assess the effectiveness of three biological wastewater treatment procedures namely natural oxidizing lagoons, rotating biodisks procedure, activated sludge procedure, and one tertiary sewage treatment using UV-C254 reactor for this enteric viruses' removal. Thus, 242 sewage samples were collected between June 2019 and May 2020 from different lines of wastewater treatment procedures implemented in the five wastewater treatment plants investigated. SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed using real-time multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (multiplex real-time RT-PCR) and enteroviruses using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The enteroviruses detection showed 93% and 73% respective high frequencies only in the two WWTPs of the Grand Tunis (WWTP 1 and WWTP 2). SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 58% of the all wastewater samples collected from the five studied WWTPs with a respective dominance of N gene (47%), S gene (42%), RdRp gene (42%) and at last E gene (20%). These enteroviruses and SARS-CoV-2 detection were revealed in all steps of the wastewater treatment procedures, so poor virological quality is found at the exit of each biological and tertiary step of treatment investigated. For the first time in Tunisia, these results highlighted the enterovirus and SARS-CoV-2 detection with high rates, and the ineffectiveness of the biological and UV-C254 treatment implemented to remove these viruses. The preliminary results of SARS-CoV-2 circulation in Tunisian wastewater confirmed the wide positivity rate underlined by other works worldwide and allowed showing a move towards integrating wastewater as a way for this virus to spread in different areas and environments. So, this last result about SARS-CoV-2 circulation allowed us to caution about the strong probability of diffusion of this hazardous virus through water and sewage; despite its enveloped character and nature, as a labile and sensitive virus in these environments. Thus, establishing a national surveillance strategy is needed to improve the sanitary quality of treated wastewater and prevent public health problems related to these viruses in treated wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chourouk Ibrahim
- Center of Research and Water Technologies (CERTE), Laboratory of Treatment and Valorization of Water Rejects (LTVRH), Techno Park of Borj-Cédria, 8020 Tunis, Tunisia
- Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia
- Microbiology Laboratory, Beja University Hospital, Beja, Tunisia
| | - Salah Hammami
- National School of Veterinary Medicine at Sidi Thabet, IRESA, University of Manouba, 2020 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Nesserine Khelifi
- Center of Research and Water Technologies (CERTE), Laboratory of Treatment and Valorization of Water Rejects (LTVRH), Techno Park of Borj-Cédria, 8020 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Abdennaceur Hassen
- Center of Research and Water Technologies (CERTE), Laboratory of Treatment and Valorization of Water Rejects (LTVRH), Techno Park of Borj-Cédria, 8020 Tunis, Tunisia
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8
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Ciannella S, González-Fernández C, Gomez-Pastora J. Recent progress on wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19 surveillance: A systematic review of analytical procedures and epidemiological modeling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:162953. [PMID: 36948304 PMCID: PMC10028212 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), whose causative agent is the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a pandemic. This virus is predominantly transmitted via respiratory droplets and shed via sputum, saliva, urine, and stool. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been able to monitor the circulation of viral pathogens in the population. This tool demands both in-lab and computational work to be meaningful for, among other purposes, the prediction of outbreaks. In this context, we present a systematic review that organizes and discusses laboratory procedures for SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantification from a wastewater matrix, along with modeling techniques applied to the development of WBE for COVID-19 surveillance. The goal of this review is to present the current panorama of WBE operational aspects as well as to identify current challenges related to it. Our review was conducted in a reproducible manner by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for systematic reviews. We identified a lack of standardization in wastewater analytical procedures. Regardless, the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) approach was the most reported technique employed to detect and quantify viral RNA in wastewater samples. As a more convenient sample matrix, we suggest the solid portion of wastewater to be considered in future investigations due to its higher viral load compared to the liquid fraction. Regarding the epidemiological modeling, the data-driven approach was consistently used for the prediction of variables associated with outbreaks. Future efforts should also be directed toward the development of rapid, more economical, portable, and accurate detection devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Ciannella
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock 79409, TX, USA.
| | - Cristina González-Fernández
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock 79409, TX, USA; Departamento de Ingenierías Química y Biomolecular, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros, s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain.
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