scholarly journals Wastewater-Based Epidemiology of Enteric Viruses and Surveillance of Acute Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreaks in a Resource-Limited Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luz Chacón ◽  
Eric Morales ◽  
Carmen Valiente ◽  
Liliana Reyes ◽  
Kenia Barrantes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Wilcoxon Test ◽  
Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Viral Gastroenteritis ◽  
Limited Region ◽  
Acute Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Human Enteric Viruses

Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality among all ages. This study applied the principles of wastewater-based epidemiology for the preventive identification of potential outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis and hepatitis A by analyzing the presence of human enteric viruses in influents of small municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) handling domestic sewage, together with public health reports of acute diarrheal and hepatitis A disease in Costa Rica during 2013. Raw wastewater samples were collected during four seasonal periods with different rainfall levels. The presence of five human enteric viruses (rotavirus A, norovirus GI, norovirus GII, enterovirus, and hepatitis A virus) was studied by endpoint and real-time polymerase chain reaction in influents of five WWTPs. Cases of AGI were analyzed using historical public health reports of endemic levels and quartile ranges for each administrative and territorial area where the WWTPs are located and for its surrounding counties. A tendency for a higher rate of positive viral tests was present 1 week before an increase of AGI cases. Epidemiological weeks categorized as Outbreak (above the 75th percentile) and Success (below the 25th percentile) showed statistically significant differences in terms of positive viral test rates (Wilcoxon test, P = 0.05). Virological monitoring of wastewater in small WWTPs is an appropriate model for epidemiological surveillance of diarrheal and hepatitis A diseases in low- and middle-resource countries.

scholarly journals Three-Year Study To Assess Human Enteric Viruses in Shellfish

2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (8) ◽  
pp. 3241-3248 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Le Guyader ◽  
L. Haugarreau ◽  
L. Miossec ◽  
E. Dubois ◽  
M. Pommepuy
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Virus Detection ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Molecular Technique ◽  
Norwalk Virus ◽  
Viral Contamination ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Human Enteric Viruses

ABSTRACT The main pathogenic enteric viruses able to persist in the environment, such as hepatitis A virus (HAV), Norwalk-like virus (NLV), enterovirus (EV), rotavirus (RV), and astrovirus (AV), were detected by reverse transcription-PCR and hybridization in shellfish during a 3-year study. Oyster samples (n = 108), occasionally containing bacteria, were less frequently contaminated, showing positivity for AV (17%), NLV (23%), EV (19%), and RV (27%), whereas mussel samples, collected in areas routinely impacted by human sewage, were more highly contaminated: AV (50%), HAV (13%), NLV (35%), EV (45%), and RV (52%). Sequences obtained from HAV and NLV amplicons showed a great variety of strains, especially for NLV (strains close to Mexico, Snow Mountain Agent, or Norwalk virus). Viral contamination was mainly observed during winter months, although there were some seasonal differences among the viruses. This first study of virus detection over a fairly long period of time suggests that routine analysis of shellfish by a molecular technique is feasible.

scholarly journals Detection of Viral Pathogens by Reverse Transcriptase PCR and of Microbial Indicators by Standard Methods in the Canals of the Florida Keys

1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (9) ◽  
pp. 4118-4125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale W. Griffin ◽  
Charles J. Gibson ◽  
Erin K. Lipp ◽  
Kelley Riley ◽  
John H. Paul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
Microbial Water Quality ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase Pcr ◽  
Human Enteric Viruses

ABSTRACT In order to assess the microbial water quality in canal waters throughout the Florida Keys, a survey was conducted to determine the concentration of microbial fecal indicators and the presence of human pathogenic microorganisms. A total of 19 sites, including 17 canal sites and 2 nearshore water sites, were assayed for total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, enterococci, coliphages, F-specific (F+) RNA coliphages, Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum, and human enteric viruses (polioviruses, coxsackie A and B viruses, echoviruses, hepatitis A viruses, Norwalk viruses, and small round-structured viruses). Numbers of coliforms ranged from <1 to 1,410, E. coli organisms from <1 to 130,Clostridium spp. from <1 to 520, and enterococci from <1 to 800 CFU/100 ml of sample. Two sites were positive for coliphages, but no F+ phages were identified. The sites were ranked according to microbial water quality and compared to various water quality standards and guidelines. Seventy-nine percent of the sites were positive for the presence of enteroviruses by reverse transcriptase PCR (polioviruses, coxsackie A and B viruses, and echoviruses). Sixty-three percent of the sites were positive for the presence of hepatitis A viruses. Ten percent of the sites were positive for the presence of Norwalk viruses. Ninety-five percent of the sites were positive for at least one of the virus groups. These results indicate that the canals and nearshore waters throughout the Florida Keys are being impacted by human fecal material carrying human enteric viruses through current wastewater treatment strategies such as septic tanks. Exposure to canal waters through recreation and work may be contributing to human health risks.

Comparative survival of hepatitis A virus, poliovirus and indicator viruses in geographically diverse seawaters

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 189-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Callahan ◽  
Douglas J. Taylor ◽  
Mark D. Sobsey
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Log10 Reduction ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Human Enteric Viruses ◽  
Virus Survival

The presence and persistence of enteric viruses in sewage contaminated seawater is an important public health concern for bathing, surfing and shellfishing. In an effort to find suitable indicators of enteric viruses in seawater, we compared the survival of two groups of enteric bacteriophages, F-specific coliphages (FRNA phages) and somatic Salmonella bacteriophages (SS phages), to the survival of two human enteric viruses, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and poliovirus type 1 (PV-1), in coastal seawater from three geographic areas (So. California, Hawaii, and North Carolina) at 20°C. Concentrations of all four viruses decreased over 30 days from their initial titers and there was little difference in the survival of a particular virus among the three seawaters. However, the extent of reduction varied among the four viruses. Survival was greater for the SS phages than for any of the other viruses, with an estimated 4 log10 reduction time of about 10 weeks. FRNA phages and PV-1 were inactivated rapidly, with 4 log10 reductions in ~ 1 week. HAV reductions were intermediate between SS phages and FRNA phages, with 4 log10 reductions in about 4 weeks. The observed differences in virus survival suggest that SS phages are more persistent in seawater than other viruses and hence may be good indicators for enteric viruses in seawater.

scholarly journals Estimating the burden of acute gastrointestinal illness due toGiardia, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter, E. coliO157 and norovirus associated with private wells and small water systems in Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 144 (7) ◽  
pp. 1355-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. MURPHY ◽  
M. K. THOMAS ◽  
P. J. SCHMIDT ◽  
D. T. MEDEIROS ◽  
S. McFADYEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Acute Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Small Water

SUMMARYWaterborne illness related to the consumption of contaminated or inadequately treated water is a global public health concern. Although the magnitude of drinking water-related illnesses in developed countries is lower than that observed in developing regions of the world, drinking water is still responsible for a proportion of all cases of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Canada. The estimated burden of endemic AGI in Canada is 20·5 million cases annually – this estimate accounts for under-reporting and under-diagnosis. About 4 million of these cases are domestically acquired and foodborne, yet the proportion of waterborne cases is unknown. There is evidence that individuals served by private systems and small community systems may be more at risk of waterborne illness than those served by municipal drinking water systems in Canada. However, little is known regarding the contribution of these systems to the overall drinking water-related AGI burden in Canada. Private water supplies serve an estimated 12% of the Canadian population, or ~4·1 million people. An estimated 1·4 million (4·1%) people in Canada are served by small groundwater (2·6%) and surface water (1·5%) supplies. The objective of this research is to estimate the number of AGI cases attributable to water consumption from these supplies in Canada using a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) approach. This provides a framework for others to develop burden of waterborne illness estimates for small water supplies. A multi-pathogen QMRA ofGiardia, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter, E. coliO157 and norovirus, chosen as index waterborne pathogens, for various source water and treatment combinations was performed. It is estimated that 103 230 AGI cases per year are due to the presence of these five pathogens in drinking water from private and small community water systems in Canada. In addition to providing a mechanism to assess the potential burden of AGI attributed to small systems and private well water in Canada, this research supports the use of QMRA as an effective source attribution tool when there is a lack of randomized controlled trial data to evaluate the public health risk of an exposure source. QMRA is also a powerful tool for identifying existing knowledge gaps on the national scale to inform future surveillance and research efforts.

Detection of Human Enteric Viruses in Japanese Clams

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1689-1695 ◽  
Author(s):  
GRANT S. HANSMAN ◽  
TOMOICHIRO OKA ◽  
TIAN-CHENG LI ◽  
OSAMU NISHIO ◽  
MAMORU NODA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Aichi Virus ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Group A ◽  
Human Enteric Viruses ◽  
High Level

A total of 57 clam packages that were collected from supermarkets and fish markets from 11 different sites in western Japan between 8 December 2005 and 6 September 2006 were examined for human enteric viruses (i.e., norovirus, Aichi virus, rotavirus, adenovirus, hepatitis A virus, and astrovirus), using PCR and reverse transcription PCR. Sixty-one percent of the packages were contaminated with one type of virus, 9% had two different types of viruses, 28% had three different types of viruses, and 9% had at least four different types of viruses. Thirty-one (54%) of 57 packages were contaminated with noroviruses. Norovirus genogroup I and genogroup II sequences were detected in 24 and 23 packages, respectively, and these sequences belonged to nine genogroup I and eight genogroup II genotypes. Aichi viruses were found in 19 (33%) of 57 packages, and these belonged to genogroup A. Rotaviruses (group A) were detected in 14 (42%) of 33 of packages and 9 of 14 rotavirus-positive packages contained two or more rotavirus genogroup types. Adenoviruses (Ad40 and Ad41) were detected in 17 (52%) of 33 packages. One of the 57 (2%) packages was positive with hepatitis A virus (subtype IA). Astrovirus was not detected in any of the packages. This is the first study to detect such a high level of contamination in Japanese clams. These results represent an important finding because the Japanese clams were considered suitable for human consumption. Further studies are needed to determine the health risks associated with eating these highly contaminated clams.

Viruses in Mussels: Public Health Implications and Depuration

1997 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 677-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. XAVIER ABAD ◽  
ROSA M. PINTÓ ◽  
RODRIGO GAJARDO ◽  
ALBERT BOSCH
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Adenovirus Type ◽  
Marine Water ◽  
Health Implications ◽  
Public Consumption ◽  
Enteric Adenovirus ◽  
Pathogenic Viruses

Studies were conducted in the common mussel (Mytilus spp.) to evaluate the public health implications derived from shellfish contamination with human pathogenic enteric viruses. In bioaccumulation experiments, we could verify that after 6 h of immersion of mussels in marine water contaminated with high levels of clay-associated enteric adenovirus (type 40) and human rotavirus (type 3), between 4 to 56% of the seeded viruses were adsorbed to shellfish tissues, mainly in the gills and digestive tract. We investigated the occurrence of wild-type enteric viruses in mussels from sites with different levels of fecal pollution. Pathogenic viruses could be detected in mussels from areas that, following current standards based on bacteriological quality, should be regarded as unpolluted, safe for swimming, and suitable for harvesting shellfish. Cooking experiments performed with contaminated mussels revealed that 5 min after the opening of the mussel valves, rotaviruses and hepatitis A virus could still be recovered in steamed shellfish. Under commercial depuration conditions, health-significant enteric viruses, such as rotavirus and hepatitis A virus, could be recovered from bivalves after 96 h of immersion in a continuous flow of ozonated marine water. Routine screening of bivalves for the presence of health-significant enteric viruses before public consumption may help in the prevention of outbreaks among shellfish consumers.

scholarly journals The Incidence of Acute Gastrointestinal Illness in Canada, Foodbook Survey 2014-2015

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kate Thomas ◽  
Regan Murray ◽  
Andrea Nesbitt ◽  
Frank Pollari
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Burden Of Illness ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Important Public Health ◽  
Acute Gastrointestinal Illness ◽  
Important Public Health Issue

Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) is an important public health issue, with many pathogen sources and modes of transmission. A one-year telephone survey was conducted in Canada (2014-2015) to estimate the incidence of self-reported AGI in the previous 28 days and to describe health care seeking behaviour, using a symptom-based case definition. Excluding cases with respiratory symptoms, it is estimated that there are 0.57 self-reported AGI episodes per person-year, almost 19.5 million episodes in Canada each year. The proportion of cases seeking medical care was nearly 9%, of which 17% reported being requested to submit a sample for laboratory testing, and 49% of those requested complied and provided a sample. Results can be used to inform burden of illness and source attribution studies and indicate that AGI continues to be an important public health issue in Canada.

Inactivation of Hepatitis a Virus and Model Viruses in Water by Free Chlorine and Monochloramine

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 385-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Sobsey ◽  
Takashi Fuji ◽  
Patricia A. Shields
Keyword(s):  
Phosphate Buffer ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Free Chlorine ◽  
High Ph ◽  
Human Enteric Viruses ◽  
Reasonable Model

The kinetics and extent of inactivation of hepatitis A virus (HAV) as well as three other viruses, coxsackievirus B5 (CB5) and coliphages MS2 and ϕX174, by 0.5 mg/l free chlorine, pH 6-10, and 10 mg/l monochloramine, pH 8, at 5°C in 0.01 M phosphate buffer were determined. HAV wae relatively sensitive to 0.5 mg/l free chlorine but relatively resistant to 10 mg/l monochloramine. Compared to HAV, CB5 was quite resistant to inactivation by free chlorine but similar in resistance to inactivation by monochloramine. Inactivation of ϕX174 by free chlorine was rapid at pH 6-9 and intermediate between that of HAV and CB5 at pH 10. ϕX174 was inactivated most rapidly of all viruses tested by 10 mg/l monochloramine. Inactivation of MS2 by free chlorine was somewhat more rapid than HAV at low pH but less rapid than HAV at high pH. MS2 inactivation by 10 mg/l monochloramine was slowset of all viruses tested. These reeslts indicate that HAV is inactivated relatively rapidly by free chlorine but relatively slowly by monochloramine. Coliphage MS2 is a reasonable model to predict inactivation of HAV by free chlorine and inactivation of HAV and CB5 by monochloramine. It is a poor model for predicting free chlorine inactivation of CB5 and perhaps some other human enteric viruses.

Human enteric viruses in Coquina clams associated with a large hepatitis A outbreak

2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 61-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bosch ◽  
G. Sánchez ◽  
F. Le Guyader ◽  
H. Vanaclocha ◽  
L. Haugarreau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis A ◽  
Hepatitis A Virus ◽  
Enteric Viruses ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Epidemiological Analysis ◽  
Single Genotype ◽  
Human Enteric Viruses

An outbreak of hepatitis A, affecting 183 people, occurred in Valencia (Spain). Epidemiological evidence pointed to an association of the outbreak with consumption of Coquina clams (Donax sp), imported frozen from Peru. Shellfish were analysed for the presence of hepatitis A virus (HAV), enteroviruses, rotaviruses, astroviruses, caliciviruses and hepatitis E virus. HAV was detected in 75% of assayed shellfish samples. Other enteric viruses were occasionally found in the same samples. Molecular epidemiological analysis of fragments of the VP1/2A and the 5' end of the genome from shellfish and sera isolates, revealed the presence of six variants belonging to a single genotype.

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