Rotaviral RNA found in wastewaters from hospital laundry

Abstract

The aim of this prospective study was to determine the presence of rotaviral RNA in water from a hospital laundry. Since rotaviruses are known as major causal agents of diarrhoea in humans, it is necessary that laundering hospital textiles results in efficient chemo-thermal disinfection, thus minimizing the possibility of transmission of rotaviruses to immune-compromised patients in hospitals. RT-PCR and second round PCR for gene amplification using specific primers, succeeding ultra-filtration and RNA isolation, was used to determine the presence of rotaviral RNA in water samples. The results show that rotaviral RNA was found in wastewater after the washing process, thus confirming an inadequate disinfecting effect of the examined laundering procedures.