1
|
Tran DPH, You BC, Liu CW, Chen YN, Wang YF, Chung SN, Lee JJ, You SJ. Identifying spatiotemporal trends of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater: from the perspective of upstream and downstream wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:11576-11590. [PMID: 38221556 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31769-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Recently, many efforts have been made to address the rapid spread of newly identified COVID-19 virus variants. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is considered a potential early warning tool for identifying the rapid spread of this virus. This study investigated the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in eight wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their sewerage systems which serve most of the population in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Across the entire study period, the wastewater viral concentrations were correlated with the number of COVID-19 cases in each WWTP (Spearman's r = 0.23-0.76). In addition, it is confirmed that several treatment technologies could effectively eliminate the virus RNA from WWTP influent (> 90%). On the other hand, further results revealed that an inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation and hotspot model combined with the geographic information system (GIS) method could be applied to analyze the spatiotemporal variations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from the sewer system. In addition, socio-economic factors, namely, population density, land use, and income tax were successfully identified as the potential drivers which substantially affected the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan. Finally, the data obtained from this study can provide a powerful tool in public health decision-making not only in response to the current epidemic situation but also to other epidemic issues in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duyen Phuc-Hanh Tran
- Department of Civil Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Bo-Cheng You
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chen-Wuing Liu
- Department of Water Resource, Taoyuan City Government, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ning Chen
- Department of Bioscience Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ya-Fen Wang
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Shu-Nu Chung
- Department of Water Resource, Taoyuan City Government, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jin-Jing Lee
- Department of Water Resource, Taoyuan City Government, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Jie You
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China.
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu LT, Tsai JJ, Chang K, Chen CH, Lin PC, Tsai CY, Tsai YY, Hsu MC, Chuang WL, Chang JM, Hwang SJ, Chong IW. Identification and Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha Variants in the Largest Taiwan COVID-19 Outbreak in 2021. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:869818. [PMID: 35547225 PMCID: PMC9081839 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.869818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is believed to have originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. Infection with this highly dangerous human-infecting coronavirus via inhalation of respiratory droplets from SARS-CoV-2 carriers results in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which features clinical symptoms such as fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and life-threatening pneumonia. Several COVID-19 waves arose in Taiwan from January 2020 to March 2021, with the largest outbreak ever having a high case fatality rate (CFR) (5.95%) between May and June 2021. In this study, we identified five 20I (alpha, V1)/B.1.1.7/GR SARS-CoV-2 (KMUH-3 to 7) lineage viruses from COVID-19 patients in this largest COVID-19 outbreak. Sequence placement analysis using the existing SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree revealed that KMUH-3 originated from Japan and that KMUH-4 to KMUH-7 possibly originated via local transmission. Spike mutations M1237I and D614G were identified in KMUH-4 to KMUH-7 as well as in 43 other alpha/B.1.1.7 sequences of 48 alpha/B.1.1.7 sequences deposited in GISAID derived from clinical samples collected in Taiwan between 20 April and July. However, M1237I mutation was not observed in the other 12 alpha/B.1.1.7 sequences collected between 26 December 2020, and 12 April 2021. We conclude that the largest COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan between May and June 2021 was initially caused by the alpha/B.1.1.7 variant harboring spike D614G + M1237I mutations, which was introduced to Taiwan by China Airlines cargo crew members. To our knowledge, this is the first documented COVID-19 outbreak caused by alpha/B.1.1.7 variant harboring spike M1237I mutation thus far. The largest COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan resulted in 13,795 cases and 820 deaths, with a high CFR, at 5.95%, accounting for 80.90% of all cases and 96.47% of all deaths during the first 2 years. The high CFR caused by SARS-CoV-2 alpha variants in Taiwan can be attributable to comorbidities and low herd immunity. We also suggest that timely SARS-CoV-2 isolation and/or sequencing are of importance in real-time epidemiological investigations and in epidemic prevention. The impact of G614G + M1237I mutations in the spike gene on the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreading as well as on high CFR remains to be elucidated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Teh Liu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jih-Jin Tsai
- Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ko Chang
- Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hong Chen
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.,National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Chang Lin
- Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Yi Tsai
- Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Yi Tsai
- Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Miao-Chen Hsu
- Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Long Chuang
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jer-Ming Chang
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Jyh Hwang
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Inn-Wen Chong
- Department of Internal Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|