Molecular detection of multiple viral targets in untreated urban sewage from Greece

Petros A Kokkinos,Αggeliki Mpalasopoulou,Alexis Galanis,Panos G Ziros,Apostolos Vantarakis

doi:10.1186/1743-422x-8-195

Petros A Kokkinos, Αggeliki Mpalasopoulou + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-422x-8-195

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Abstract

BackgroundUrban sewage virological analysis may produce important information about the strains that cause clinical and subclinical infections in the population, thus supporting epidemiological studies.MethodsIn the present study, a twenty one-month survey (November 2007 to July 2009) was conducted in order to evaluate the presence of human adenoviruses (hAdV), hepatitis A viruses (HAV), hepatitis E viruses (HEV), Noroviruses (NoV), and human Polyomaviruses (hPyV) in untreated sewage samples collected from the inlet of Patras' municipal biological wastewater treatment plant, located in southwestern Greece. Nucleic acid amplification techniques were applied for viral nucleic acid detection. Positive samples were confirmed by sequencing and comparative phylogenetic analysis was performed on the isolated viral strains.ResultsIn total, viruses were detected in 87.5% (42/48) of sewage samples. AdVs, PyVs, HAV, and NoVs were detected in 45.8% (22/48), 68.8% (33/48), 8.3% (4/48), and 6.3% (3/48) of the samples collected from the plant's inlet, while HEV was not detected at all. Adenovirus types 8 (Ad8), 40 (Ad40) and 41 (Ad41) were recognized, while JC and BK polyomaviruses were recorded. Noroviruses were identified as GII.4. HAV was typed as genotype IA.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates the advantages of environmental surveillance as a tool to elucidate the molecular epidemiology of community circulating viruses. We underline the need of environmental surveillance programs in countries such as Greece with inadequate and problematic epidemiological surveillance system and no environmental surveillance system currently in action.

Highlights

Urban sewage virological analysis may produce important information about the strains that cause clinical and subclinical infections in the population, supporting epidemiological studies
The enteric viruses found in human stool and urine belong to more than 140 types of which adenovirus (AdV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), norovirus (NoV) genotype I and II, rotavirus (RV), enterovirus (EV), and polyomavirus (PyV) are those most often detected in the environment [2,3,4,5,6,7]
A twenty one-month survey (November 2007-July 2009) was conducted in order to evaluate the presence of human adenoviruses, hepatitis A viruses (HAV), hepatitis E viruses (HEV), Noroviruses (NoV), and human Polyomaviruses in sewage samples collected from the inlet of a municipal biological wastewater treatment plant, located in southwestern Greece

Summary

Introduction

Urban sewage virological analysis may produce important information about the strains that cause clinical and subclinical infections in the population, supporting epidemiological studies. Wastewater presents a timely dynamic collection point where many physical, chemical, and biological substances of our society are brought to a central location. Any type of infection within a community is likely to lead to pathogen excretion in bodily fluids/substances and transported into the community sewage system. A wide variety of pathogenic organisms pass through municipal wastewater treatment systems, including viruses [1]. The enteric viruses found in human stool and urine belong to more than 140 types of which adenovirus (AdV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), norovirus (NoV) genotype I and II, rotavirus (RV), enterovirus (EV), and polyomavirus (PyV) are those most often detected in the environment [2,3,4,5,6,7].

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