Abstract
Human enteric viruses (HEntVs) are a major cause of water-related diseases. The prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV), rotaviruses (RoV) and enteroviruses (EnV) in Buffalo River waters was assessed quantitatively over a period of 12 months (August 2010 to July 2011). Seventy-two samples were collected from six sites, including three dams, and concentrated using the adsorption-elution method. Viral RNA was extracted using a commercial kit, and the viruses were quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR). Two or more viruses were detected in 12.5% of the samples. HAV was detected in 43.1% of the samples and in significantly (p < 0.05) varying concentrations of 1.5 × 101–1.9 × 105 genome copies/L compared to RoV and EnV, while RoVs were detected in 13.9% of samples, with concentrations ranging from 2.5 × 101–2.1 × 103 genome copies/L, and EnV were detected in 9.7% of the samples, with concentrations ranging from 1.3 × 101–8.6 × 101 genome copies/L. Only HAV was detected at all the sites, with the Bridle Drift Dam recording significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations. The presence of enteric viruses in Buffalo River may constitute public health risks and the incidence of HAV at all the sites could reflect both the epidemiological status of hepatitis A and HAV persistence in the water environments.
Highlights
Microbial contamination of water remains a problem of global concern [1,2] and lack of safe water and poor sanitation are important risk factors for mortality and morbidity, including diarrhoeal diseases, especially in the developing world [1,3,4]
We report the findings of our studies on the quantitative RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of hepatitis A virus, rotaviruses and enteroviruses in the Buffalo River, a major water resource in the Eastern Cape
Detection rates and viral concentrations varied with sites and virus, with significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations and very high detection rates being recorded for Bridle Drift Dam and hepatitis A virus (HAV)
Summary
Microbial contamination of water remains a problem of global concern [1,2] and lack of safe water and poor sanitation are important risk factors for mortality and morbidity, including diarrhoeal diseases, especially in the developing world [1,3,4]. Waterborne outbreak of infections caused by these enteric RNA viruses have been reported worldwide [12,27,28,29,30], South Africa inclusive [31,32,33] These viruses have been detected in water sources globally [34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41]. A number of South Africa studies have reported the detection or isolation enteric RNA viruses from water sources, including polio virus and non-polio enteroviruses [42,43,44], astroviruses [22,45], rotaviruses [46,47], and hepatitis A virus [22,23]. We report the findings of our studies on the quantitative RT-PCR detection of hepatitis A virus, rotaviruses and enteroviruses in the Buffalo River, a major water resource in the Eastern Cape
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