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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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Thapar I, Langan LM, Davis H, Norman RS, Bojes HK, Brooks BW. Influence of storage conditions and multiple freeze-thaw cycles on N1 SARS-CoV-2, PMMoV, and BCoV signal. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165098. [PMID: 37392884 PMCID: PMC10307669 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165098] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology/wastewater-based surveillance (WBE/WBS) continues to serve as an effective means of monitoring various diseases, including COVID-19 and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, at the population level. As the use of WBE expands, storage conditions of wastewater samples will play a critical role in ensuring the accuracy and reproducibility of results. In this study, the impacts of water concentration buffer (WCB), storage temperature, and freeze-thaw cycles on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other WBE-related gene targets were examined. Freeze-thawing of concentrated samples did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) crossing/cycle threshold (Ct) value for any of the gene targets studied (SARS-CoV-2 N1, PMMoV, and BCoV). However, use of WCB during concentration resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in Ct for all targets, and storage at -80 °C (in contrast to -20 °C) appeared preferable for wastewater storage signal stability based on decreased Ct values, although this was only significantly different (p < 0.05) for the BCoV target. Interestingly, when Ct values were converted to gene copies per influent sample, no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in any of the targets examined. Stability of RNA targets in concentrated wastewater against freeze-thaw degradation supports archiving of concentrated samples for use in retrospective examination of COVID-19 trends and tracing SARS-CoV-2 variants and potentially other viruses, and provides a starting point for establishing a consistent procedure for specimen collection and storage for the WBE/WBS community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Thapar
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Laura M Langan
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97178, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
| | - Haley Davis
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, 5600 US-1, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, USA
| | - R Sean Norman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Heidi K Bojes
- Environmental Epidemiology and Disease Registries Section, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, TX 78756, USA
| | - Bryan W Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97266, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97178, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97224, Waco, TX 76798, USA
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