Abstract
Human adenoviruses (HAdV) are a common cause of clinical infections in South Africa. However, there is a lack of information regarding the prevalence and molecular identification of this virus in the environment. The objective of this study was to investigate the recovery and molecular identification of HAdV in sewage and mussel samples. All samples were subjected to transmission electron microscopy, viral DNA extraction and nested PCR amplification using adenovirus-specific primers targeting a conserved region of the hexon gene. Amplicons were cloned and sequenced and BLAST analysis revealed a closest matched sequence (98% identity) belonging to HAdV-D17.
Highlights
The recovery and molecular identification of Human adenoviruses (HAdV)-D17 in raw sewage and mussel samples collected in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa
Virus particles with a size range (70–90 nm) typical of HAdV were observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in all samples analysed demonstrating the efficacy of the virus recovery technique used in the study
This study describes the successful recovery and molecular identification of HAdV-D17 from raw sewage and mussel samples collected in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa
Summary
The recovery and molecular identification of HAdV-D17 in raw sewage and mussel samples collected in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Adenoviruses have been detected in river, raw and treated drinking water in South Africa.[5] Recent studies have reported a prevalence of HAdV in the Buffalo River,[6] Tyume River,[7] and final effluents of wastewater treatment plants in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.[8] These studies screened for adenovirus-associated infections in humans, including gastroenteritis (HAdV-F40 and HAdV-F41), respiratory tract infections (HAdV-C1, HAdV-C2, HAdV-C5, HAdV-C6, HAdV-B21 and HAdV-E4), urinary tract infections (HAdV-B21) and eye infections (HAdV-B3 and HAdV-B7). Bivalve molluscs in coastal waters (such as mussels) are occasionally exposed to urban wastewater and are well-recognised vehicles in the transmission of bacterial and viral enteric diseases.[12,13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
