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Zhao L, Guzman HP, Xagoraraki I. Comparative analyses of SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in Detroit wastewater quantified with CDC N1, N2, and SC2 assays reveal optimal target for predicting COVID-19 cases. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 945:174140. [PMID: 38906283 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
To monitor COVID-19 through wastewater surveillance, global researchers dedicated significant endeavors and resources to develop and implement diverse RT-qPCR or RT-ddPCR assays targeting different genes of SARS-CoV-2. Effective wastewater surveillance hinges on the appropriate selection of the most suitable assay, especially for resource-constrained regions where scant technical and socioeconomic resources restrict the options for testing with multiple assays. Further research is imperative to evaluate the existing assays through comprehensive comparative analyses. Such analyses are crucial for health agencies and wastewater surveillance practitioners in the selection of appropriate methods for monitoring COVID-19. In this study, untreated wastewater samples were collected weekly from the Detroit wastewater treatment plant, Michigan, USA, between January and December 2023. Polyethylene glycol precipitation (PEG) was applied to concentrate the samples followed by RNA extraction and RT-ddPCR. Three assays including N1, N2 (US CDC Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR Panel for Detection of SARS-CoV-2), and SC2 assay (US CDC Influenza SARS-CoV-2 Multiplex Assay) were implemented to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. The limit of blank and limit of detection for the three assays were experimentally determined. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations were evaluated and compared through three statistical approaches, including Pearson and Spearman's rank correlations, Dynamic Time Warping, and vector autoregressive models. N1 and N2 demonstrated the highest correlation and most similar time series patterns. Conversely, N2 and SC2 assay demonstrated the lowest correlation and least similar time series patterns. N2 was identified as the optimal target to predict COVID-19 cases. This study presents a rigorous effort in evaluating and comparing SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations quantified with N1, N2, and SC2 assays and their interrelations and correlations with clinical cases. This study provides valuable insights into identifying the optimal target for monitoring COVID-19 through wastewater surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, 1449 Engineering Research Ct., East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
| | - Heidy Peidro Guzman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, 1449 Engineering Research Ct., East Lansing, MI 48823, 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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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] [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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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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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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Philo SE, De León KB, Noble RT, Zhou NA, Alghafri R, Bar-Or I, Darling A, D'Souza N, Hachimi O, Kaya D, Kim S, Gaardbo Kuhn K, Layton BA, Mansfeldt C, Oceguera B, Radniecki TS, Ram JL, Saunders LP, Shrestha A, Stadler LB, Steele JA, Stevenson BS, Vogel JR, Bibby K, Boehm AB, Halden RU, Delgado Vela J. Wastewater surveillance for bacterial targets: current challenges and future goals. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0142823. [PMID: 38099657 PMCID: PMC10807411 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01428-23] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) expanded rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the public health emergency has ended, researchers and practitioners are looking to shift the focus of existing wastewater surveillance programs to other targets, including bacteria. Bacterial targets may pose some unique challenges for WBE applications. To explore the current state of the field, the National Science Foundation-funded Research Coordination Network (RCN) on Wastewater Based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Public Health Threats held a workshop in April 2023 to discuss the challenges and needs for wastewater bacterial surveillance. The targets and methods used in existing programs were diverse, with twelve different targets and nine different methods listed. Discussions during the workshop highlighted the challenges in adapting existing programs and identified research gaps in four key areas: choosing new targets, relating bacterial wastewater data to human disease incidence and prevalence, developing methods, and normalizing results. To help with these challenges and research gaps, the authors identified steps the larger community can take to improve bacteria wastewater surveillance. This includes developing data reporting standards and method optimization and validation for bacterial programs. Additionally, more work is needed to understand shedding patterns for potential bacterial targets to better relate wastewater data to human infections. Wastewater surveillance for bacteria can help provide insight into the underlying prevalence in communities, but much work is needed to establish these methods.IMPORTANCEWastewater surveillance was a useful tool to elucidate the burden and spread of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic. Public health officials and researchers are interested in expanding these surveillance programs to include bacterial targets, but many questions remain. The NSF-funded Research Coordination Network for Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Public Health Threats held a workshop to identify barriers and research gaps to implementing bacterial wastewater surveillance programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Philo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Kara B. De León
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Rachel T. Noble
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Sciences, Morehead City, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nicolette A. Zhou
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Rashed Alghafri
- International Center for Forensic Sciences, Dubai Police, Dubai, UAE
| | - Itay Bar-Or
- Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Amanda Darling
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Nishita D'Souza
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Oumaima Hachimi
- School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Devrim Kaya
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sooyeol Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Katrin Gaardbo Kuhn
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | | | - Cresten Mansfeldt
- Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Bethany Oceguera
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Tyler S. Radniecki
- School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Ram
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Abhilasha Shrestha
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Division, University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lauren B. Stadler
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Joshua A. Steele
- Department of Microbiology, Southern California Coastal Research Project, Costa Mesa, California, USA
| | | | - Jason R. Vogel
- School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexandria B. Boehm
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Rolf U. Halden
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Jeseth Delgado Vela
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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