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Tiwari A, Radu E, Kreuzinger N, Ahmed W, Pitkänen T. Key considerations for pathogen surveillance in wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 945:173862. [PMID: 38876348 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173862] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance (WWS) has received significant attention as a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective tool for monitoring various pathogens in a community. WWS is employed to assess the spatial and temporal trends of diseases and identify their early appearances and reappearances, as well as to detect novel and mutated variants. However, the shedding rates of pathogens vary significantly depending on factors such as disease severity, the physiology of affected individuals, and the characteristics of pathogen. Furthermore, pathogens may exhibit differential fate and decay kinetics in the sewerage system. Variable shedding rates and decay kinetics may affect the detection of pathogens in wastewater. This may influence the interpretation of results and the conclusions of WWS studies. When selecting a pathogen for WWS, it is essential to consider it's specific characteristics. If data are not readily available, factors such as fate, decay, and shedding rates should be assessed before conducting surveillance. Alternatively, these factors can be compared to those of similar pathogens for which such data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananda Tiwari
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Elena Radu
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria; Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, 285 Mihai Bravu Avenue, 030304 Bucharest, Romania; University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Department of Virology, 37 Dionisie Lupu Street, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Tarja Pitkänen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
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Fu S, Zhang Y, Li Y, Zhang Z, Du C, Wang R, Peng Y, Yue Z, Xu Z, Hu Q. Estimating epidemic trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus based on wastewater monitoring and a novel machine learning algorithm. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 951:175830. [PMID: 39197755 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the circulation of non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viruses. In this study, we carried out wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus (IAV) in three key port cities in China through real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Next, a novel machine learning algorithm (MLA) based on Gaussian model and random forest model was used to predict the epidemic trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV. The results showed that from February 2023 to January 2024, three port cities experienced two waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which peaked in late-May and late-August 2023, respectively. Two waves of IAV were observed in the spring and winter of 2023, respectively with considerable variations in terms of onset/offset date and duration. Furthermore, we employed MLA to extract the key features of epidemic trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV from February 3rd, to October 15th, 2023, and thereby predicted the epidemic trends of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV from October 16th, 2023 to April 22nd, 2024, which showed high consistency with the observed values. These collective findings offer an important understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV epidemics, suggesting that wastewater surveillance together with MLA emerges as a powerful tool for risk assessment of respiratory viral diseases and improving public health preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songzhe Fu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
| | - Yixiang Zhang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinghui Li
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ziqiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Chen Du
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Marine Science and Environment, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Yuejing Peng
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhijiao Yue
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Southern University of Sciences and Technology Yantian Hospital, Shenzhen 518081, China; Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Qinghua Hu
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China.
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Corchis-Scott R, Beach M, Geng Q, Podadera A, Corchis-Scott O, Norton J, Busch A, Faust RA, McFarlane S, Withington S, Irwin B, Aloosh M, Ng KKS, McKay RM. Wastewater Surveillance to Confirm Differences in Influenza A Infection between Michigan, USA, and Ontario, Canada, September 2022-March 2023. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:1580-1588. [PMID: 39043398 PMCID: PMC11286066 DOI: 10.3201/eid3008.240225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance is an effective way to track the prevalence of infectious agents within a community and, potentially, the spread of pathogens between jurisdictions. We conducted a retrospective wastewater surveillance study of the 2022-23 influenza season in 2 communities, Detroit, Michigan, USA, and Windsor-Essex, Ontario, Canada, that form North America's largest cross-border conurbation. We observed a positive relationship between influenza-related hospitalizations and the influenza A virus (IAV) wastewater signal in Windsor-Essex (ρ = 0.785; p<0.001) and an association between influenza-related hospitalizations in Michigan and the IAV wastewater signal for Detroit (ρ = 0.769; p<0.001). Time-lagged cross correlation and qualitative examination of wastewater signal in the monitored sewersheds showed the peak of the IAV season in Detroit was delayed behind Windsor-Essex by 3 weeks. Wastewater surveillance for IAV reflects regional differences in infection dynamics which may be influenced by many factors, including the timing of vaccine administration between jurisdictions.
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Singh S, Ahmed AI, Almansoori S, Alameri S, Adlan A, Odivilas G, Chattaway MA, Salem SB, Brudecki G, Elamin W. A narrative review of wastewater surveillance: pathogens of concern, applications, detection methods, and challenges. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1445961. [PMID: 39139672 PMCID: PMC11319304 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1445961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The emergence and resurgence of pathogens have led to significant global health challenges. Wastewater surveillance has historically been used to track water-borne or fecal-orally transmitted pathogens, providing a sensitive means of monitoring pathogens within a community. This technique offers a comprehensive, real-time, and cost-effective approach to disease surveillance, especially for diseases that are difficult to monitor through individual clinical screenings. Methods This narrative review examines the current state of knowledge on wastewater surveillance, emphasizing important findings and techniques used to detect potential pathogens from wastewater. It includes a review of literature on the detection methods, the pathogens of concern, and the challenges faced in the surveillance process. Results Wastewater surveillance has proven to be a powerful tool for early warning and timely intervention of infectious diseases. It can detect pathogens shed by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals, providing an accurate population-level view of disease transmission. The review highlights the applications of wastewater surveillance in tracking key pathogens of concern, such as gastrointestinal pathogens, respiratory pathogens, and viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Discussion The review discusses the benefits of wastewater surveillance in public health, particularly its role in enhancing existing systems for infectious disease surveillance. It also addresses the challenges faced, such as the need for improved detection methods and the management of antimicrobial resistance. The potential for wastewater surveillance to inform public health mitigation strategies and outbreak response protocols is emphasized. Conclusion Wastewater surveillance is a valuable tool in the fight against infectious diseases. It offers a unique perspective on the spread and evolution of pathogens, aiding in the prevention and control of disease epidemics. This review underscores the importance of continued research and development in this field to overcome current challenges and maximize the potential of wastewater surveillance in public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surabhi Singh
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amina Ismail Ahmed
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sumayya Almansoori
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shaikha Alameri
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ashraf Adlan
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Giovanni Odivilas
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Marie Anne Chattaway
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Laboratory, London, United Kingdom
| | - Samara Bin Salem
- Central Testing Laboratory, Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Grzegorz Brudecki
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Wael Elamin
- Microbiology Lab, Reference and Surveillance Intelligence Department, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Zambrana W, Huang C, Solis D, Sahoo MK, Pinsky BA, Boehm AB. Spatial and temporal variation in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) subtype RNA in wastewater and relation to clinical specimens. mSphere 2024; 9:e0022424. [PMID: 38926903 PMCID: PMC11288019 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00224-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes a large burden of respiratory illness globally. It has two subtypes, RSV A and RSV B, but little is known regarding the predominance of these subtypes during different seasons and their impact on morbidity and mortality. Using molecular methods, we quantified RSV A and RSV B RNA in wastewater solids across multiple seasons and metropolitan areas to gain insight into the predominance of RSV subtypes. We determined the predominant subtype for each group using the proportion of RSV A to total RSV (RSV A + RSV B) in each wastewater sample (PA,WW) and conducted a comparative analysis temporally, spatially, and against clinical specimens. A median PA,WW of 0.00 in the first season and 0.58 in the second season indicated a temporal shift in the predominant subtype. Spatially, while we observed dominance of the same subtype, PA,WW was higher in some areas (PA,WW = 0.58-0.88). The same subtype predominated in wastewater and clinical samples, but clinical samples showed higher levels of RSV A (RSV A positivity in clinical samples = 0.79, median PA,WW = 0.58). These results suggest that wastewater, alongside clinical data, holds promise for enhanced subtype surveillance.IMPORTANCERespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes a large burden of respiratory illness globally. It has two subtypes, RSV A and RSV B, but little is known regarding the predominance of these subtypes during different seasons and their impact on morbidity and mortality. The study illustrates that information on subtype predominance can be gleaned from wastewater. As a biological composite sample from the entire contributing population, wastewater monitoring of RSV A and B can complement clinical surveillance of RSV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winnie Zambrana
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - ChunHong Huang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Daniel Solis
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Malaya K. Sahoo
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Benjamin A. Pinsky
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Alexandria B. Boehm
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Ison MG, Papi A, Athan E, Feldman RG, Langley JM, Lee DG, Leroux-Roels I, Martinon-Torres F, Schwarz TF, van Zyl-Smit RN, Verheust C, Dezutter N, Gruselle O, Fissette L, David MP, Kostanyan L, Hulstrøm V, Olivier A, Van der Wielen M, Descamps D. Efficacy and Safety of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prefusion F Protein Vaccine (RSVPreF3 OA) in Older Adults Over 2 RSV Seasons. Clin Infect Dis 2024; 78:1732-1744. [PMID: 38253338 PMCID: PMC11175669 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adjuvanted RSV prefusion F protein-based vaccine (RSVPreF3 OA) was efficacious against RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease (RSV-LRTD) in ≥60-years-olds over 1 RSV season. We evaluated efficacy and safety of 1 RSVPreF3 OA dose and of 2 RSVPreF3 OA doses given 1 year apart against RSV-LRTD over 2 RSV seasons post-dose 1. METHODS In this phase 3, blinded trial, ≥60-year-olds were randomized (1:1) to receive RSVPreF3 OA or placebo pre-season 1. RSVPreF3 OA recipients were re-randomized (1:1) to receive a second RSVPreF3 OA dose (RSV_revaccination group) or placebo (RSV_1dose group) pre-season 2; participants who received placebo pre-season 1 received placebo pre-season 2 (placebo group). Efficacy of both vaccine regimens against RSV-LRTD was evaluated over 2 seasons combined (confirmatory secondary objective, success criterion: lower limits of 2-sided CIs around efficacy estimates >20%). RESULTS The efficacy analysis comprised 24 967 participants (RSV_1dose: 6227; RSV_revaccination: 6242; placebo: 12 498). Median efficacy follow-up was 17.8 months. Efficacy over 2 seasons of 1 RSVPreF3 OA dose was 67.2% (97.5% CI: 48.2-80.0%) against RSV-LRTD and 78.8% (95% CI: 52.6-92.0%) against severe RSV-LRTD. Efficacy over 2 seasons of a first dose followed by revaccination was 67.1% (97.5% CI: 48.1-80.0%) against RSV-LRTD and 78.8% (95% CI: 52.5-92.0%) against severe RSV-LRTD. Reactogenicity/safety of the revaccination dose were similar to dose 1. CONCLUSIONS One RSVPreF3 OA dose was efficacious against RSV-LRTD over 2 RSV seasons in ≥60-year-olds. Revaccination 1 year post-dose 1 was well tolerated but did not seem to provide additional efficacy benefit in the overall study population. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04886596.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alberto Papi
- Pulmonary Division, University of Ferrara, St. Anna University Hospital, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Eugene Athan
- Barwon Health, University Hospital Geelong, Geelong, Australia
- Centre for Innovation in Infectious Diseases and Immunology Research, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | | | - Joanne M Langley
- Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health and Nova Scotia Health, Halifax, Canada
| | - Dong-Gun Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Vaccine Bio Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Isabel Leroux-Roels
- Center for Vaccinology, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Federico Martinon-Torres
- Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Genetics, Vaccines, Infectious Diseases, and Pediatrics Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tino F Schwarz
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Vaccination Center, Klinikum Würzburg Mitte, Campus Juliusspital, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Richard N van Zyl-Smit
- Division of Pulmonology and University of Cape Town Lung Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
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Smith MF, Maqsood R, Sullins RA, Driver EM, Halden RU, Lim ES. Seasonality of respiratory, enteric, and urinary viruses revealed by wastewater genomic surveillance. mSphere 2024; 9:e0010524. [PMID: 38712930 PMCID: PMC11237574 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00105-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance can reveal population-level infectious disease burden and emergent public health threats can be reliably assessed through wastewater surveillance. While molecular methods for wastewater monitoring of microorganisms have traditionally relied on PCR-based approaches, next-generation sequencing (NGS) can provide deeper insights via genomic analyses of multiple diverse pathogens. We conducted a year-long sequencing surveillance of 1,408 composite wastewater samples collected from 12 neighborhood-level access points in the greater Tempe area, Arizona, USA, and show that variation in wastewater viruses is driven by seasonal time and location. The temporal dynamics of viruses in wastewater were influenced cyclically, with the most dissimilarity between samples 23 weeks apart (i.e., winter vs summer, spring vs fall). We identified diverse urinary and enteric viruses including polyomaviruses, astroviruses, and noroviruses, and showed that their genotypes/subtypes shifted across seasons. We show that while wastewater data of certain respiratory viruses like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strongly correlate with clinical case rates, laboratory-reported case incidences were discordant with surges of high viral load in wastewater for other viruses like human coronavirus 229E. These results demonstrate the utility of wastewater sequencing for informing decision-making in public health.IMPORTANCEWastewater surveillance can provide insights into the spread of pathogens in communities. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) methodologies allow for more precise detection of viruses in wastewater. Long-term wastewater surveillance of viruses is an important tool for public health preparedness. This system can act as a public health observatory that gives real-time early warning for infectious disease outbreaks and improved response times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Smith
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Rabia Maqsood
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Regan A Sullins
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Erin M Driver
- Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Rolf U Halden
- Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Efrem S Lim
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore
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Tiwari A, Lehto KM, Paspaliari DK, Al-Mustapha AI, Sarekoski A, Hokajärvi AM, Länsivaara A, Hyder R, Luomala O, Lipponen A, Oikarinen S, Heikinheimo A, Pitkänen T. Developing wastewater-based surveillance schemes for multiple pathogens: The WastPan project in Finland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171401. [PMID: 38467259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171401] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater comprises multiple pathogens and offers a potential for wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) to track the prevalence of communicable diseases. The Finnish WastPan project aimed to establish wastewater-based pandemic preparedness for multiple pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi), including antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This article outlines WastPan's experiences in this project, including the criteria for target selection, sampling locations, frequency, analysis methods, and results communication. Target selection relied on epidemiological and microbiological evidence and practical feasibility. Within the WastPan framework, wastewater samples were collected between 2021 and 2023 from 10 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) covering 40 % of Finland's population. WWTP selection was validated for reported cases of Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase-producing bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) from the National Infectious Disease Register. The workflow included 24-h composite influent samples, with one fraction for culture-based analysis (bacteria and fungi) and the rest of the sample was reserved for molecular analysis (viruses, bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, and parasites). The reproducibility of the monitoring workflow was assessed for SARS-CoV-2 through inter-laboratory comparisons using the N2 and N1 assays. Identical protocols were applied to same-day samples, yielding similar positivity trends in the two laboratories, but the N2 assay achieved a significantly higher detection rate (Laboratory 1: 91.5 %; Laboratory 2: 87.4 %) than the N1 assay (76.6 %) monitored only in Laboratory 2 (McNemar, p < 0.001 Lab 1, = 0.006 Lab 2). This result indicates that the selection of monitoring primers and assays may impact monitoring sensitivity in WBS. Overall, the current study recommends that the selection of sampling frequencies and population coverage of the monitoring should be based on pathogen-specific epidemiological characteristics. For example, pathogens that are stable over time may need less frequent annual sampling, while those that are occurring across regions may require reduced sample coverage. Here, WastPan successfully piloted WBS for monitoring multiple pathogens, highlighting the significance of one-litre community composite wastewater samples for assessing community health. The infrastructure established for COVID-19 WBS is valuable for monitoring various pathogens. The prioritization of the monitoring targets optimizes resource utilization. In the future legislative support in target selection, coverage determination, and sustained funding for WBS is recomended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananda Tiwari
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Kirsi-Maarit Lehto
- Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Dafni K Paspaliari
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland; ECDC Fellowship Programme, Public Health Microbiology path (EUPHEM), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Solna, Sweden
| | - Ahmad I Al-Mustapha
- University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Anniina Sarekoski
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Anna-Maria Hokajärvi
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Annika Länsivaara
- Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Rafiqul Hyder
- Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Oskari Luomala
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Anssi Lipponen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Sami Oikarinen
- Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Annamari Heikinheimo
- University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Food Authority, Seinäjoki, Finland.
| | - Tarja Pitkänen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Health Security, Kuopio and Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
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Girón-Guzmán I, Cuevas-Ferrando E, Barranquero R, Díaz-Reolid A, Puchades-Colera P, Falcó I, Pérez-Cataluña A, Sánchez G. Urban wastewater-based epidemiology for multi-viral pathogen surveillance in the Valencian region, Spain. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 255:121463. [PMID: 38537489 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/24/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has lately arised as a promising tool for monitoring and tracking viral pathogens in communities. In this study, we analysed WBE's role as a multi-pathogen surveillance strategy to detect the presence of several viral illness causative agents. Thus, an epidemiological study was conducted from October 2021 to February 2023 to estimate the weekly levels of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV), and Influenza A virus (IAV) in influent wastewater samples (n = 69). In parallel, a one-year study (October 2021 to October 2022) was performed to assess the presence of pathogenic human enteric viruses. Besides, monitoring of proposed viral fecal contamination indicators crAssphage and Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) was also assessed, along with plaque counting of somatic coliphages. Genetic material of rotavirus (RV), human astrovirus (HAStV), and norovirus genogroup I (GI) and GII was found in almost all samples, while hepatitis A and E viruses (HAV and HEV) only tested positive in 3.77 % and 22.64 % of the samples, respectively. No seasonal patterns were overall found for enteric viruses, although RVs had a peak prevalence in the winter months. All samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, with a mean concentration of 5.43 log genome copies per liter (log GC/L). The tracking of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) was performed by both duplex RT-qPCR and next generation sequencing (NGS). Both techniques reliably showed how the dominant VOC transitioned from Delta to Omicron during two weeks in Spain in December 2021. RSV and IAV viruses peaked in winter months with mean concentrations 6.40 and 4.10 log GC/L, respectively. Moreover, the three selected respiratory viruses strongly correlated with reported clinical data when normalised by wastewater physico-chemical parameters and presented weaker correlations when normalising sewage concentration levels with crAssphage or somatic coliphages titers. Finally, predictive models were generated for each respiratory virus, confirming high reliability on WBE data as an early-warning system and communities illness monitoring system. Overall, this study presents WBE as an optimal tool for multi-pathogen tracking reflecting viral circulation and diseases trends within a selected area, its value as a multi-pathogen early-warning tool stands out due to its public health interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Girón-Guzmán
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Enric Cuevas-Ferrando
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain.
| | - Regino Barranquero
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Azahara Díaz-Reolid
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Pablo Puchades-Colera
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Irene Falcó
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain; Department of Microbiology and Ecology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alba Pérez-Cataluña
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Gloria Sánchez
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain.
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10
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Zhang M, Roldan-Hernandez L, Boehm A. Persistence of human respiratory viral RNA in wastewater-settled solids. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0227223. [PMID: 38501669 PMCID: PMC11022535 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02272-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a valuable tool for monitoring respiratory viral diseases within communities by analyzing concentrations of viral nucleic-acids in wastewater. However, little is known about the fate of respiratory virus nucleic-acids in wastewater. Two important fate processes that may modulate their concentrations in wastewater as they move from household drains to the point of collection include sorption or partitioning to wastewater solids and degradation. This study investigated the decay kinetics of genomic nucleic-acids of seven human respiratory viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, human rhinovirus (HRV), and influenza A virus (IAV), as well as pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in wastewater solids. Viruses (except for PMMoV) were spiked into wastewater solids and their concentrations were followed for 50 days at three different temperatures (4°C, 22°C, and 37°C). Viral genomic RNA decayed following first-order kinetics with decay rate constants k from 0 to 0.219 per day. Decay rate constants k were not different from 0 for all targets in solids incubated at 4°C; k values were largest at 37°C and at this temperature, k values were similar across nucleic-acid targets. Regardless of temperature, there was limited viral RNA decay, with an estimated 0% to 20% reduction, over the typical residence times of sewage in the piped systems between input and collection point (<1 day). The k values reported herein can be used directly in fate and transport models to inform the interpretation of measurements made during wastewater surveillance.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding whether or not the RNA targets quantified for wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) efforts decay during transport between drains and the point of sample collection is critical for data interpretation. Here we show limited decay of viral RNA targets typically measured for respiratory disease WBE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyang Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Laura Roldan-Hernandez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Alexandria Boehm
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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11
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Zulli A, Varkila MR, Parsonnet J, Wolfe MK, Boehm AB. Observations of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Nucleic Acids in Wastewater Solids Across the United States in the 2022-2023 Season: Relationships with RSV Infection Positivity and Hospitalization Rates. ACS ES&T WATER 2024; 4:1657-1667. [PMID: 38633368 PMCID: PMC11019535 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.3c00725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory illness and hospitalization, but clinical surveillance detects only a minority of cases. Wastewater surveillance could determine the onset and extent of RSV circulation in the absence of sensitive case detection, but to date, studies of RSV in wastewater are few. We measured RSV RNA concentrations in wastewater solids from 176 sites during the 2022-2023 RSV season and compared those to publicly available RSV infection positivity and hospitalization rates. Concentrations ranged from undetectable to 107 copies per gram. RSV RNA concentration aggregated at state and national levels correlated with infection positivity and hospitalization rates. RSV season onset was determined using both wastewater and clinical positivity rates using independent algorithms for 14 states where both data were available at the start of the RSV season. In 4 of 14 states, wastewater and clinical surveillance identified RSV season onset during the same week; in 3 states, wastewater onset preceded clinical onset, and in 7 states, wastewater onset occurred after clinical onset. Wastewater concentrations generally peaked in the same week as hospitalization rates but after case positivity rates peaked. Differences in onset and peaks in wastewater versus clinical data may reflect inherent differences in the surveillance approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Zulli
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Meri R.J. Varkila
- Division
of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Julie Parsonnet
- Division
of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department
of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford
University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Marlene K. Wolfe
- Gangarosa
Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Alexandria B. Boehm
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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12
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Kumblathan T, Liu Y, Crisol M, Pang X, Hrudey SE, Le XC, Li XF. Advances in wastewater analysis revealing the co-circulating viral trends of noroviruses and Omicron subvariants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 920:170887. [PMID: 38350564 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170887] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Co-presence of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses is common both in community circulation and in wastewater. Community surveillance of infections requires robust methods enabling simultaneous quantification of multiple viruses in wastewater. Using enveloped SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants and non-enveloped norovirus (NoV) as examples, this study reports a robust method that integrates electronegative membrane (EM) concentration, viral inactivation, and RNA preservation (VIP) with efficient capture and enrichment of the viral RNA on magnetic (Mag) beads, and direct detection of RNA on the beads. This method provided improved viral recoveries of 80 ± 4 % for SARS-CoV-2 and 72 ± 5 % for Murine NoV. Duplex reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays with newly designed degenerate primer-probe sets offered high PCR efficiencies (90-91 %) for NoV (GI and GII) targets and were able to detect as few as 15 copies of the viral RNA per PCR reaction. This technique, combined with duplex detection of NoV and multiplex detection of Omicron, successfully quantified NoV (GI and GII) and Omicron variants in the same sets of 94 influent wastewater samples collected from two large wastewater systems between July 2022 and June 2023. The wastewater viral RNA results showed temporal changes of both NoV and Omicron variants in the same wastewater systems and revealed an inverse relationship of their emergence. This study demonstrated the importance of a robust analytical platform for simultaneous surveillance of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses in wastewater. The ability to sensitively determine multiple viral pathogens in wastewater will advance applications of wastewater surveillance as a complementary public health tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Kumblathan
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Yanming Liu
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Mary Crisol
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Xiaoli Pang
- Division of Diagnostic and Applied Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2B7, Canada; Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J2, Canada
| | - Steve E Hrudey
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - 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 T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Xing-Fang Li
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada.
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13
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Parkins MD, Lee BE, Acosta N, Bautista M, Hubert CRJ, Hrudey SE, Frankowski K, Pang XL. Wastewater-based surveillance as a tool for public health action: SARS-CoV-2 and beyond. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0010322. [PMID: 38095438 PMCID: PMC10938902 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00103-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has undergone dramatic advancement in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The power and potential of this platform technology were rapidly realized when it became evident that not only did WBS-measured SARS-CoV-2 RNA correlate strongly with COVID-19 clinical disease within monitored populations but also, in fact, it functioned as a leading indicator. Teams from across the globe rapidly innovated novel approaches by which wastewater could be collected from diverse sewersheds ranging from wastewater treatment plants (enabling community-level surveillance) to more granular locations including individual neighborhoods and high-risk buildings such as long-term care facilities (LTCF). Efficient processes enabled SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction and concentration from the highly dilute wastewater matrix. Molecular and genomic tools to identify, quantify, and characterize SARS-CoV-2 and its various variants were adapted from clinical programs and applied to these mixed environmental systems. Novel data-sharing tools allowed this information to be mobilized and made immediately available to public health and government decision-makers and even the public, enabling evidence-informed decision-making based on local disease dynamics. WBS has since been recognized as a tool of transformative potential, providing near-real-time cost-effective, objective, comprehensive, and inclusive data on the changing prevalence of measured analytes across space and time in populations. However, as a consequence of rapid innovation from hundreds of teams simultaneously, tremendous heterogeneity currently exists in the SARS-CoV-2 WBS literature. This manuscript provides a state-of-the-art review of WBS as established with SARS-CoV-2 and details the current work underway expanding its scope to other infectious disease targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Parkins
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- O’Brien Institute of Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bonita E. Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Acosta
- Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maria Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Casey R. J. Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steve E. Hrudey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kevin Frankowski
- Advancing Canadian Water Assets, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiao-Li Pang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Provincial Health Laboratory, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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14
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Geissler M, Mayer R, Helm B, Dumke R. Food and Environmental Virology: Use of Passive Sampling to Characterize the Presence of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Viruses in Wastewater. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2024; 16:25-37. [PMID: 38117471 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-023-09572-1] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 leads to a renaissance of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as additional tool to follow epidemiological trends in the catchment of treatment plants. As alternative to the most commonly used composite samples in surveillance programs, passive sampling is increasingly studied. However, the many sorbent materials in different reports hamper the comparison of results and a standardization of the approach is necessary. Here, we compared different cost-effective sorption materials (cheesecloths, gauze swabs, electronegative filters, glass wool, and tampons) in torpedo-style housings with composite samples. Despite a remarkable variability of the concentration of SARS-CoV-2-specific gene copies, analysis of parallel-deposited passive samplers in the sewer demonstrated highest rate of positive samples and highest number of copies by using cheesecloths. Using this sorption material, monitoring of wastewater of three small catchments in the City of Dresden resulted in a rate of positive samples of 50% in comparison with composite samples (98%). During the investigation period, incidence of reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the catchments ranged between 16 and 170 per 100,000 persons and showed no correlation with the measured concentrations of E gene in wastewater. In contrast, constantly higher numbers of gene copies in passive vs. composite samples were found for human adenovirus and crAssphage indicating strong differences of efficacy of methods concerning the species investigated. Influenza virus A and B were sporadically detected allowing no comparison of results. The study contributes to the further understanding of possibilities and limits of passive sampling approaches in WBE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Geissler
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robin Mayer
- Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Björn Helm
- Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Roger Dumke
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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15
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Rau F, Elsner C, Meister TL, Gömer A, Kallies R, Dittmer U, Steinmann E, Todt D. Monitoring of hepatitis E virus in wastewater can identify clinically relevant variants. Liver Int 2024; 44:637-643. [PMID: 38291853 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is prevalent worldwide and can cause persistent infection with severe morbidity. Antiviral treatment approaches can lead to the emergence of viral variants encoding escape mutations that may impede viral clearance. The frequency of these variants remains unknown in the human population as well as environment due to limited comprehensive data on HEV diversity. In this study, we investigated the HEV prevalence and diversity of circulating variants in environmental samples, that is, wastewater and rivers from North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. HEV prevalence could be determined with 73% of samples tested positive for viral RNA via qRT-PCR. Using high-throughput sequencing, we were able to assess the overall genetic diversity in these samples and identified the presence of clinically relevant variants associated with drug resistance. In summary, monitoring variants from environmental samples could provide valuable insights into estimating HEV prevalence and identifying circulating variants that can impact treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Rau
- Medical Faculty, Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Carina Elsner
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Toni Luise Meister
- Medical Faculty, Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development, University Medical Centre Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department for Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner siteHamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - André Gömer
- Medical Faculty, Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - René Kallies
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Eike Steinmann
- Medical Faculty, Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), External Partner Site, Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniel Todt
- Medical Faculty, Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- European Virus Bioinformatics Center (EVBC), Jena, Germany
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16
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Rezaeitavabe F, Rezaie M, Modayil M, Pham T, Ice G, Riefler G, Coschigano KT. Beyond linear regression: Modeling COVID-19 clinical cases with wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 for the city of Athens and Ohio University campus. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169028. [PMID: 38061656 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169028] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance has emerged as a detection tool for population-wide infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infected individuals shed the virus, which can be detected in wastewater using molecular techniques such as reverse transcription-digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-dPCR). This study examined the association between the number of clinical cases and the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater beyond linear regression and for various normalizations of viral loads. Viral loads were measured in a total of 446 wastewater samples during the period from August 2021 to April 2022. These samples were collected from nine different locations, with 220 samples taken from four specific sites within the city of Athens and 226 samples from five sites within Ohio University. The correlation between COVID-19 cases and wastewater viral concentrations, which was estimated using the Pearson correlation coefficient, was statistically significant and ranged from 0.6 to 0.9. In addition, time-lagged cross correlation was applied to identify the lag time between clinical and wastewater data, estimated 4 to 7 days. While we also explored the effect on the correlation coefficients of various normalizations of viral loads accounting for procedural loss or amount of fecal material and of estimated lag times, these alternative specifications did not change our substantive conclusions. Additionally, several linear and non-linear regression models were applied to predict the COVID-19 cases given wastewater data as input. The non-linear approach was found to yield the highest R-squared and Pearson correlation and lowest Mean Absolute Error values between the predicted and actual number of COVID-19 cases for both aggregated OHIO Campus and city data. Our results provide support for previous studies on correlation and time lag and new evidence that non-linear models, approximated with artificial neural networks, should be implemented for WBS of contagious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Rezaeitavabe
- Ohio University, Russ College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Mehdi Rezaie
- Kansas State University, Department of Physics, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Maria Modayil
- Ohio University, Division of Diversity and Inclusion, Athens, OH 45701, USA; Ohio University, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Studies, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Tuyen Pham
- Ohio University, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Gillian Ice
- Ohio University, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Studies, Athens, OH 45701, USA; Ohio University, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Guy Riefler
- Ohio University, Russ College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Karen T Coschigano
- Ohio University, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
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17
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Li Y, Miyani B, Faust RA, David RE, Xagoraraki I. A broad wastewater screening and clinical data surveillance for virus-related diseases in the metropolitan Detroit area in Michigan. Hum Genomics 2024; 18:14. [PMID: 38321488 PMCID: PMC10845806 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-024-00581-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Periodic bioinformatics-based screening of wastewater for assessing the diversity of potential human viral pathogens circulating in a given community may help to identify novel or potentially emerging infectious diseases. Any identified contigs related to novel or emerging viruses should be confirmed with targeted wastewater and clinical testing. RESULTS During the COVID-19 pandemic, untreated wastewater samples were collected for a 1-year period from the Great Lakes Water Authority Wastewater Treatment Facility in Detroit, MI, USA, and viral population diversity from both centralized interceptor sites and localized neighborhood sewersheds was investigated. Clinical cases of the diseases caused by human viruses were tabulated and compared with data from viral wastewater monitoring. In addition to Betacoronavirus, comparison using assembled contigs against a custom Swiss-Prot human virus database indicated the potential prevalence of other pathogenic virus genera, including: Orthopoxvirus, Rhadinovirus, Parapoxvirus, Varicellovirus, Hepatovirus, Simplexvirus, Bocaparvovirus, Molluscipoxvirus, Parechovirus, Roseolovirus, Lymphocryptovirus, Alphavirus, Spumavirus, Lentivirus, Deltaretrovirus, Enterovirus, Kobuvirus, Gammaretrovirus, Cardiovirus, Erythroparvovirus, Salivirus, Rubivirus, Orthohepevirus, Cytomegalovirus, Norovirus, and Mamastrovirus. Four nearly complete genomes were recovered from the Astrovirus, Enterovirus, Norovirus and Betapolyomavirus genera and viral species were identified. CONCLUSIONS The presented findings in wastewater samples are primarily at the genus level and can serve as a preliminary "screening" tool that may serve as indication to initiate further testing for the confirmation of the presence of species that may be associated with human disease. Integrating innovative environmental microbiology technologies like metagenomic sequencing with viral epidemiology offers a significant opportunity to improve the monitoring of, and predictive intelligence for, pathogenic viruses, using wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabing Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, 1449 Engineering Research Ct, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Brijen Miyani
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, 1449 Engineering Research Ct, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Russell A Faust
- Oakland County Health Division, 1200 Telegraph Rd, Pontiac, MI, 48341, USA
| | - Randy E David
- School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48282, USA
| | - Irene Xagoraraki
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, 1449 Engineering Research Ct, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA.
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18
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Akter J, Smith WJ, Liu Y, Kim I, Simpson SL, Thai P, Korajkic A, Ahmed W. Comparison of adsorption-extraction (AE) workflows for improved measurements of viral and bacterial nucleic acid in untreated wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:167966. [PMID: 38476760 PMCID: PMC10927021 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The lack of standardized methods and large differences in virus concentration and extraction workflows have hampered Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) wastewater surveillance and data reporting practices. Numerous studies have shown that adsorption-extraction (AE) method holds promise, yet several uncertainties remain regarding the optimal AE workflow. Several procedural components may influence the recovered concentrations of target nucleic acid, including membrane types, homogenization instruments, speed and duration, and lysis buffer. In this study, 42 different AE workflows that varied these components were compared to determine the optimal workflow by quantifying endogenous SARS-CoV-2, human adenovirus 40/41 (HAdV 40/41), and a bacterial marker gene of fecal contamination (Bacteroides HF183). Our findings suggest that the workflow chosen had a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, whereas it had minimal impact on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. When comparing individual components in a workflow, such as membrane type (MF-Millipore™ 0.45 μm MCE vs. Isopore™ 0.40 μm), we found that they had no impact on SARS-CoV-2, HAdV 40/41, and HF183 concentrations. This suggests that at least some consumables and equipment are interchangeable. Buffer PM1 + TRIzol-based workflows yielded higher concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 than other workflows. HF183 concentrations were higher in workflows without chloroform. Similarly, higher homogenization speeds (5000-10,000 rpm) led to increased concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 and HF183 but had no effect on HAdV 40/41. Our findings indicate that minor enhancements to the AE workflow can improve the recovery of viruses and bacteria from the wastewater, leading to improved outcomes from wastewater surveillance efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesmin Akter
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Department of Environmental Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Gyeonggi-do 10223, Republic of Korea
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wendy J.M. Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Yawen Liu
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Ilho Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
- Department of Environmental Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Gyeonggi-do 10223, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Phong Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 4102 Brisbane, Australia
| | - Asja Korajkic
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
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19
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Kenmoe S, Takuissu GR, Ebogo-Belobo JT, Kengne-Ndé C, Mbaga DS, Bowo-Ngandji A, Ondigui Ndzie JL, Kenfack-Momo R, Tchatchouang S, Lontuo Fogang R, Zeuko'o Menkem E, Kame-Ngasse GI, Magoudjou-Pekam JN, Puzelli S, Lucentini L, Veneri C, Mancini P, Bonanno Ferraro G, Iaconelli M, Del Giudice C, Brandtner D, Suffredini E, La Rosa G. A systematic review of influenza virus in water environments across human, poultry, and wild bird habitats. WATER RESEARCH X 2024; 22:100210. [PMID: 38298332 PMCID: PMC10825513 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2023.100210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Influenza, a highly contagious acute respiratory disease, remains a major global health concern. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the prevalence of influenza virus in different aquatic environments. Using 43 articles from four databases, we thoroughly examined water matrices from wastewater treatment plants (WTPs) and other human environments, as well as poultry habitats and areas frequented by migratory wild birds. In WTP influents (10 studies), positivity rates for influenza A ranged from 0.0 % to 97.6 %. For influenza B (8 studies), most studies reported no positivity, except for three studies reporting detection in 0.8 %, 5.6 %, and 46.9 % of samples. Within poultry habitats (13 studies), the prevalence of influenza A ranged from 4.3 % to 76.4 %, while in environments frequented by migratory wild birds (11 studies), it ranged from 0.4 % to 69.8 %. Geographically, the studies were distributed as follows: 39.5 % from the Americas, 18.6 % from Europe, 2.3 % from South-East Asia and 39.5 % from the Western Pacific. Several influenza A subtypes were found in water matrices, including avian influenza (H3N6, H3N8, H4N1, H4N2, H4N6, H4N8, H5N1, H5N8, H6N2, H6N6, H7N9, H0N8, and H11N9) and seasonal human influenza (H1N1 and H3N2). The existing literature indicates a crucial requirement for more extensive future research on this topic. Specifically, it emphasizes the need for method harmonization and delves into areas deserving of in-depth research, such as water matrices pertaining to pig farming and prevalence studies in low-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kenmoe
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - GR Takuissu
- Centre for Food, Food Security and Nutrition Research, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - JT Ebogo-Belobo
- Medical Research Centre, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - C Kengne-Ndé
- Epidemiological Surveillance, Evaluation and Research Unit, National AIDS Control Committee, Douala, Cameroon
| | - DS Mbaga
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - A Bowo-Ngandji
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - JL Ondigui Ndzie
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - R Kenfack-Momo
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - S Tchatchouang
- Scientific Direction, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - R Lontuo Fogang
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - E Zeuko'o Menkem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - GI Kame-Ngasse
- Medical Research Centre, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - JN Magoudjou-Pekam
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - S Puzelli
- Department of Infectious Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - L Lucentini
- National Center for Water Safety (CeNSiA), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - C Veneri
- National Center for Water Safety (CeNSiA), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - P Mancini
- National Center for Water Safety (CeNSiA), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - G Bonanno Ferraro
- National Center for Water Safety (CeNSiA), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - M Iaconelli
- National Center for Water Safety (CeNSiA), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - C Del Giudice
- National Center for Water Safety (CeNSiA), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - D Brandtner
- Department of Infectious Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - E Suffredini
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary public health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - G La Rosa
- National Center for Water Safety (CeNSiA), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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20
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Fu S, Zhang Y, Wang R, Deng Z, He F, Jiang X, Shen L. Longitudinal wastewater surveillance of four key pathogens during an unprecedented large-scale COVID-19 outbreak in China facilitated a novel strategy for addressing public health priorities-A proof of concept study. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 247:120751. [PMID: 37918201 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120751] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a promising tool for monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens, providing a novel public health strategy to combat disease. In this study, we first analysed nationwide reports of infectious diseases and selected Salmonella, norovirus, and influenza A virus (IAV) as prioritized targets apart from SARS-CoV-2 for wastewater surveillance. Next, the decay rates of Salmonella, norovirus, and IAV in wastewater at various temperatures were established to obtain corrected pathogen concentrations in sewage. We then monitored the concentrations of these pathogens in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influents in three cities, establishing a prediction model to estimate the number of infected individuals based on the mass balance between total viral load in sewage and individual viral shedding. From October 2022 to March 2023, we conducted multipathogen wastewater surveillance (MPWS) in a WWTP serving one million people in Xi'an City, monitoring the concentration dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, Salmonella, norovirus, and IAV in sewage. The infection peaks of each pathogen were different, with Salmonella cases and sewage concentration declining from October to December 2022 and only occasionally detected thereafter. The SARS-CoV-2 concentration rapidly increased from December 5th, peaked on December 26th, and then quickly decreased until the end of the study. Norovirus and IAV were detected in wastewater from January to March 2023, peaking in February and March, respectively. We used the prediction models to estimate the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Xi'an city, with nearly 90 % of the population infected in urban regions. There was no significant difference between the predicted and actual number of hospital admissions for IAV. We also accurately predicted the number of norovirus cases relative to the reported cases. Our findings highlight the importance of wastewater surveillance in addressing public health priorities, underscoring the need for a novel workflow that links the prediction results of populations with public health interventions and allocation of medical resources at the community level. This approach would prevent medical resource panic squeezes, reduce the severity and mortality of patients, and enhance overall public health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songzhe Fu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
| | - Yixiang Zhang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Marine Science and Environment, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture (KLECA), Ministry of Education, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Zhiqiang Deng
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang, China
| | - Fenglan He
- The Collaboration Unit for Field Epidemiology of State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Nanchang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaotong Jiang
- College of Marine Science and Environment, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Controlled Aquaculture (KLECA), Ministry of Education, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Lixin Shen
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
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21
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Asadi M, Hamilton D, Shomachuk C, Oloye FF, De Lange C, Pu X, Osunla CA, Cantin J, El-Baroudy S, Mejia EM, Gregorchuk B, Becker MG, Mangat C, Brinkmann M, Jones PD, Giesy JP, McPhedran KN. Assessment of rapid wastewater surveillance for determination of communicable disease spread in municipalities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 901:166541. [PMID: 37625717 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance (WS) helps to improve the understanding of the spread of communicable diseases in communities. WS can assist public health decision-makers in the design and implementation of timely mitigation measures. There is an increased need to use reliable, cost-effective, simple, and rapid WS systems, given traditional analytical (or 'gold-standard') programs are instrument/time-intensive, and dependent on highly skilled personnel. This study investigated the application of the portable GeneXpert platform for WS of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza A virus (IAV), influenza B virus (IBV), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The GeneXpert system with the Xpert Xpress-SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV test kit uses reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to analyze wastewater samples. From September 2022 through January 2023, wastewater samples were collected from the influents of municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTPs) of Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and North Battleford in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Both raw and concentrated wastewater samples were subjected to the GeneXpert analysis. Results showed that the Saskatoon wastewater viral loads were significantly correlated to Saskatchewan's influenza and COVID-19 clinical cases, with a lead time of 10 days for IAV and a lag time of 4 days for SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, the GeneXpert analysis of the three cities' wastewater samples showed that the raw WS could capture the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and IAV due to their correlation with concentrated WS. Interestingly, IBV loads were not detected in any wastewater samples, while the Saskatoon and Prince Albert wastewater samples collected following the 2023 holiday season (end of December and beginning of January) were positive for RSV. This study indicates that the GeneXpert has excellent potential for use in the development of an early warning system for transmissible disease in municipalities and limited-resource communities while simultaneously providing stakeholders with an efficient WS methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Asadi
- Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Daniel Hamilton
- Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Corwyn Shomachuk
- Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Femi F Oloye
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Chantel De Lange
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Xia Pu
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Charles A Osunla
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jenna Cantin
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Seba El-Baroudy
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Edgard M Mejia
- JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Branden Gregorchuk
- JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Michael G Becker
- JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Chand Mangat
- Wastewater Surveillance Unit, On-Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory - Winnipeg, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada
| | - Markus Brinkmann
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Paul D Jones
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - John P Giesy
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Department of Environmental Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA; Department of Integrative Biology and Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kerry N McPhedran
- Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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22
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Colazo Salbetti MB, Boggio GA, Moreno L, Adamo MP. Human bocavirus respiratory infection: Tracing the path from viral replication and virus-cell interactions to diagnostic methods. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2482. [PMID: 37749807 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Human bocaviruses were first described between 2005 and 2010, identified in respiratory and enteric tract samples of children. Screening studies have shown worldwide distribution. Based on phylogenetic analysis, they were classified into four genotypes (HBoV1-4). From a clinical perspective, human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) is considered the most relevant, since it can cause upper and lower acute respiratory tract infection, mainly in infants, including common cold, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia, as well as wheezing in susceptible patients. However, the specific processes leading to structural, biochemical, and functional changes resulting in the different clinical presentations have not been elucidated yet. This review surveys the interactions between the virus and target cells that can potentially explain disease-causing mechanisms. It also summarises the clinical phenotype of cases, stressing the role of HBoV1 as an aetiological agent of lower acute respiratory infection in infants, together with laboratory tests for detection and diagnosis. By exploring the current knowledge on the epidemiology of HBoV1, insights into the complex scenario of paediatric respiratory infections are presented, as well as the potential effects that changes in the circulation can have on the dynamics of respiratory agents, spotlighting the benefits of comprehensively increase insights into incidence, interrelationships with co-circulating agents and potential control of HBoV1.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Colazo Salbetti
- Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Gabriel Amilcar Boggio
- Cátedra de Clínica Pediátrica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - Laura Moreno
- Cátedra de Clínica Pediátrica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Cordoba, Argentina
| | - María Pilar Adamo
- Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Cordoba, Argentina
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23
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Ahmed W, Smith WJM, Tiwari A, Bivins A, Simpson SL. Unveiling indicator, enteric, and respiratory viruses in aircraft lavatory wastewater using adsorption-extraction and Nanotrap® Microbiome A Particles workflows. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165007. [PMID: 37348715 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The effective detection of viruses in aircraft wastewater is crucial to establish surveillance programs for monitoring virus spread via aircraft passengers. This study aimed to compare the performance of two virus concentration workflows, adsorption-extraction (AE) and Nanotrap® Microbiome A Particles (NMAP), in detecting the prevalence and concentrations of 15 endogenous viruses including ssDNA, dsDNA, ssRNA in 24 aircraft lavatory wastewater samples. The viruses tested included two indicator viruses, four enteric viruses, and nine respiratory viruses. The results showed that cross-assembly phage (crAssphage), human polyomavirus (HPyV), rhinovirus A (RhV A), and rhinovirus B (RhV B) were detected in all wastewater samples using both workflows. However, enterovirus (EV), human norovirus GII (HNoV GII), human adenovirus (HAdV), bocavirus (BoV), parechovirus (PeV), epstein-barr virus (EBV). Influenza A virus (IAV), and respiratory syncytial virus B (RsV B) were infrequently detected by both workflows, and hepatitis A virus (HAV), influenza B virus (IBV), and respiratory syncytial virus B (RsV A) were not detected in any samples. The NMAP workflow had greater detection rates of RNA viruses (EV, PeV, and RsV B) than the AE workflow, while the AE workflow had greater detection rates of DNA viruses (HAdV, BoV, and EBV) than the NMAP workflow. The concentration of each virus was also analyzed, and the results showed that crAssphage had the highest mean concentration (6.76 log10 GC/12.5 mL) followed by HPyV (5.46 log10 GC/12.5 mL using the AE workflow, while the mean concentrations of enteric and respiratory viruses ranged from 2.48 to 3.63 log10 GC/12.5 mL. Using the NMAP workflow, the mean concentration of crAssphage was 5.18 log10 GC/12.5 mL and the mean concentration of HPyV was 4.20 log10 GC/12.5 mL, while mean concentrations of enteric and respiratory viruses ranged from 2.55 to 3.74 log10 GC/12.5 mL. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) mean concentrations of crAssphage and HPyV were observed when employing the AE workflow in comparison to the NMAP workflow. Conversely, the NMAP workflow yielded significantly greater (p < 0.05) concentrations of RhV A, and RhV B compared to the AE workflow. The findings of this study can aid in the selection of an appropriate concentration workflow for virus surveillance studies and contribute to the development of efficient virus detection methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Wendy J M Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Ananda Tiwari
- Expert Microbiology Research Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio 70701, Finland
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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24
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Zheng X, Zhao K, Xu X, Deng Y, Leung K, Wu JT, Leung GM, Peiris M, Poon LLM, Zhang T. Development and application of influenza virus wastewater surveillance in Hong Kong. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 245:120594. [PMID: 37741039 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance is considered as a powerful tool in providing cost-effective, population-wide and near real-time surveillance results for controlling infectious diseases (i.e., SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus), complementary to clinical surveillance. To facilitate the utility of this emerging tool, we developed two preanalytical protocols (supernatant-based and pellet-based) for influenza A/B virus (IAV/IBV) wastewater surveillance and applied them to the established wastewater surveillance network for large-scale longitudinal monitoring in Hong Kong. We tested 724 wastewater samples from 24 stationary sites for weekly surveillance for 8 months and 458 wastewater samples from 11 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for more frequent (three times per week) city-wide surveillance for 4 months when influenza season commenced. We found the city-wide IAV virus concentration in wastewater were associated with the detection rate and influenza-like illness plus rates (ILI+) of clinical respiratory specimens and increased significantly after the cancelling of mask mandate that was in place for COVID-19. IBV was at low detection rates and low virus concentration levels, consistent with the low detection rates observed by clinical surveillance. In addition, we conducted virus subtype identification in selected wastewater samples, and observed the H1pdm was the major circulation subtype. Moreover, the obtained virus signals were confirmed by Sanger sequencing of PCR products, suggesting the feasibility and applicability of established methods for rapid detection of influenza virus types and subtypes in wastewater surveillance. This study demonstrates the applicability of IAV/IBV wastewater surveillance to current wastewater infrastructures and it could be used as a rapid and cost-effective surveillance strategy to track virus transmission patterns in the community for timely public health actions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiawan Zheng
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Lab, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Keyue Zhao
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Lab, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoqing Xu
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Lab, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yu Deng
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Lab, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kathy Leung
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D(2)4H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China; The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Joseph T Wu
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D(2)4H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China; The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gabriel M Leung
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D(2)4H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Malik Peiris
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Leo L M Poon
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Lab, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR, China.
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25
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DeJonge PM, Adams C, Pray I, Schussman MK, Fahney RB, Shafer M, Antkiewicz DS, Roguet A. Wastewater Surveillance Data as a Complement to Emergency Department Visit Data for Tracking Incidence of Influenza A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus - Wisconsin, August 2022-March 2023. MMWR. MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT 2023; 72:1005-1009. [PMID: 37708080 PMCID: PMC10511267 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7237a2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance has been used to assist public health authorities in tracking local transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The usefulness of wastewater surveillance to track community spread of other respiratory pathogens, including influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), is less clear. During the 2022-23 respiratory diseases season, concentrations of influenza A virus and RSV in wastewater samples in three major Wisconsin cities were compared with emergency department (ED) visits associated with these pathogens. In all three cities, higher concentrations of influenza A virus and RSV in wastewater were associated with higher numbers of associated ED visits (Kendall's tau range = 0.50-0.63 for influenza-associated illness and 0.30-0.49 for RSV-associated illness). Detections of both influenza A virus and RSV in wastewater often preceded a rise in associated ED visits for each pathogen, and virus material remained detectable in wastewater for up to 3 months after pathogen-specific ED visits declined. These results demonstrate that wastewater surveillance has the potential to complement conventional methods of influenza and RSV surveillance, detecting viral signals earlier and for a longer duration than do clinical data. Continued use of wastewater surveillance as a supplement to established surveillance systems such as ED visits might improve local understanding and response to seasonal respiratory virus outbreaks.
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26
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Roldan-Hernandez L, Boehm AB. Adsorption of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Rhinovirus, SARS-CoV-2, and F+ Bacteriophage MS2 RNA onto Wastewater Solids from Raw Wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:13346-13355. [PMID: 37647137 PMCID: PMC10501194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the widespread adoption of wastewater surveillance, more research is needed to understand the fate and transport of viral genetic markers in wastewater. This information is essential for optimizing monitoring strategies and interpreting wastewater surveillance data. In this study, we examined the solid-liquid partitioning behavior of four viruses in wastewater: SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus (RV), and F+ coliphage/MS2. We used two approaches: (1) laboratory partitioning experiments using lab-grown viruses and (2) distribution experiments using endogenous viruses in raw wastewater. Partition experiments were conducted at 4 and 22 °C. Wastewater samples were spiked with varying concentrations of each virus, solids and liquids were separated via centrifugation, and viral RNA concentrations were quantified using reverse-transcription-digital droplet PCR (RT-ddPCR). For the distribution experiments, wastewater samples were collected from six wastewater treatment plants and processed without spiking exogenous viruses; viral RNA concentrations were measured in wastewater solids and liquids. In both experiments, RNA concentrations were higher in the solid fraction than the liquid fraction by approximately 3-4 orders of magnitude. Partition coefficients (KF) ranged from 2000-270,000 mL·g-1 across viruses and temperature conditions. Distribution coefficients (Kd) were consistent with results from partitioning experiments. Further research is needed to understand how virus and wastewater characteristics might influence the partitioning of viral genetic markers in wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Roldan-Hernandez
- Department of Civil &
Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Doerr School
of Sustainability, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Alexandria B. Boehm
- Department of Civil &
Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Doerr School
of Sustainability, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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27
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Ladner JT, Sahl JW. Towards a post-pandemic future for global pathogen genome sequencing. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002225. [PMID: 37527248 PMCID: PMC10393143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogen genome sequencing has become a routine part of our response to active outbreaks of infectious disease and should be an important part of our preparations for future epidemics. In this Essay, we discuss the innovations that have enabled routine pathogen genome sequencing, as well as how genome sequences can be used to understand and control the spread of infectious disease. We also explore the impact of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on the field of pathogen genomics and outline the challenges we must address to further improve the utility of pathogen genome sequencing in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason T Ladner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Jason W Sahl
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continues to be a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract infection in infants, young children, and older adults. In this review, changes in the epidemiology of RSV during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are highlighted together with the role which increased molecular surveillance efforts will have in future in assessing the efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics. RECENT FINDINGS The introduction of nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPIs) strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022 resulted in worldwide disruption to the epidemiology of RSV infections, especially with respect to the timing and peak case rate of annual epidemics. Increased use of whole genome sequencing along with efforts to better standardize the nomenclature of RSV strains and discrimination of RSV genotypes will support increased monitoring of relevant antigenic sites in the viral glycoproteins. Several RSV vaccine candidates based on subunit, viral vectors, nucleic acid, or live attenuated virus strategies have shown efficacy in Phase 2 or 3 clinical trials with vaccines using RSVpreF protein currently the closest to approval and use in high-risk populations. Finally, the recent approval and future use of the extended half-life human monoclonal antibody Nirsevimab will also help to alleviate the morbidity and mortality burden caused by annual epidemics of RSV infections. SUMMARY The ongoing expansion and wider coordination of RSV molecular surveillance efforts via whole genome sequencing will be crucial for future monitoring of the efficacy of a new generation of vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Ludlow
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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Koureas M, Mellou K, Vontas A, Kyritsi M, Panagoulias I, Koutsolioutsou A, Mouchtouri VA, Speletas M, Paraskevis D, Hadjichristodoulou C. Wastewater Levels of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Associated with Influenza-like Illness Rates in Children-A Case Study in Larissa, Greece (October 2022-January 2023). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5219. [PMID: 36982128 PMCID: PMC10048987 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20065219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant progress in the field of wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) of respiratory pathogens and highlighted its potential for a wider application in public health surveillance. This study aimed to evaluate whether monitoring of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in wastewater can provide a comprehensive picture of disease transmission at the community level. The study was conducted in Larissa (Central Greece) between October 2022 and January 2023. Forty-six wastewater samples were collected from the inlet of the wastewater treatment plant of Larissa and analyzed with a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based method. RSV and SARS-CoV-2 wastewater viral loads (genome copies/100,000 inhabitants) were analyzed against sentinel surveillance data on influenza-like illness (ILI) to identify potential associations. Univariate linear regression analysis revealed that RSV wastewater viral load (lagged by one week) and ILI notification rates in children up to 14 years old were strongly associated (std. Beta: 0.73 (95% CI: 0.31-1.14), p = 0.002, R2 = 0.308). A weaker association was found between SARS-CoV-2 viral load and ILI rates in the 15+ age group (std. Beta: 0.56 (95% CI: 0.06-1.05), p = 0.032, R2 = 0.527). The results support the incorporation of RSV monitoring into existing wastewater-based surveillance systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Koureas
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakyriazi Str., 41222 Larissa, Greece
| | | | - Alexandros Vontas
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakyriazi Str., 41222 Larissa, Greece
| | - Maria Kyritsi
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakyriazi Str., 41222 Larissa, Greece
| | | | | | - Varvara A. Mouchtouri
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakyriazi Str., 41222 Larissa, Greece
| | - Matthaios Speletas
- Department of Immunology and Histocompatibility, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | | | - Christos Hadjichristodoulou
- Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakyriazi Str., 41222 Larissa, Greece
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Ando H, Ahmed W, Iwamoto R, Ando Y, Okabe S, Kitajima M. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of influenza A and respiratory syncytial viruses elucidated by wastewater-based epidemiology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:162694. [PMID: 36894088 PMCID: PMC9991320 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in the prevalence of Influenza A virus (IAV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been suggested by clinical surveillance. However, there may be potential biases in obtaining an accurate overview of infectious diseases in a community. To elucidate the impact of the COVID-19 on the prevalence of IAV and RSV, we quantified IAV and RSV RNA in wastewater collected from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Sapporo, Japan, between October 2018 and January 2023, using highly sensitive EPISENS™ method. From October 2018 to April 2020, the IAV M gene concentrations were positively correlated with the confirmed cases in the corresponding area (Spearman's r = 0.61). Subtype-specific HA genes of IAV were also detected, and their concentrations showed trends that were consistent with clinically reported cases. RSV A and B serotypes were also detected in wastewater, and their concentrations were positively correlated with the confirmed clinical cases (Spearman's r = 0.36-0.52). The detection ratios of IAV and RSV in wastewater decreased from 66.7 % (22/33) and 42.4 % (14/33) to 4.56 % (12/263) and 32.7 % (86/263), respectively in the city after the COVID-19 prevalence. The present study demonstrates the potential usefulness of wastewater-based epidemiology combined with the preservation of wastewater (wastewater banking) as a tool for better management of respiratory viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Ando
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Ryo Iwamoto
- Shionogi & Co. Ltd., 1-8, Doshomachi 3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka 541-0045, Japan; AdvanSentinel Inc., 1-8 Doshomachi 3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka 541-0045, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Ando
- Shionogi & Co. Ltd., 1-8, Doshomachi 3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka 541-0045, Japan
| | - Satoshi Okabe
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
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