THE MONITORING OF DOMINANT ENTERIC VIRUSES IN WASTEWATER AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE OF ACUTE VIRAL INTESTINAL INFECTIONS
Abstract
Background. The monitoring of enteric viruses in wastewater is a new epidemiological approach allowing to detect the intensity of their circulation in humans. The aim of the study is to conduct and analyze parallel monitoring studies of wastewater and biological material from patients with acute viral intestinal infections (AEI) selected from different regions of the Republic of Belarus in terms of their actual pathogens. Material and methods. 403 samples of wastewater and 381 samples of feces from patients with AEI, collected in different regions of Belarus, were examined by real-time PCR. Results. In patients with AEI, rotaviruses A (20,4%) and noroviruses of the genogroup 2 (10,2%) were most often detected, while adenoviruses F (2,2%), enteroviruses (0,8%) and noroviruses 1 (0,3%) were found quite rarely. Adenoviruses F (25,9%), rotaviruses A (18,4%) and enteroviruses (13,4%) dominated in wastewater samples while noroviruses 2 (6,8%) and noroviruses 1 were detected much less frequently (1,5%). Certain differences were revealed in the percentage of viral AСI pathogens present in patients and those found in wastewater, that indicates active hidden circulation of some of them (adenoviruses F and enteroviruses). SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was detected in one of the wastewater samples. The conducted sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of its nucleotide sequence showed 100% similarity with the sequences of isolates identified in patients with COVID-19. Conclusions. The obtained data indicate the potential of the studies based on monitoring of intestinal viruses in wastewater in order to increase the effectiveness of epidemiological surveillance of known AEI pathogens circulation and to identify new and emerging ones.References
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