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Schmitz BW, Polanco JA, Chen H, Manaktala A, Gu X, Goh SG, Gin KYH. Virus surrogates throughout a full-scale advanced water reuse system. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121556. [PMID: 38604066 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Water reuse as an alternative water supply is increasing throughout the world due to water stress and scarcity; however, there are no standard practices for monitoring virus pathogens in such systems. This study aimed to identify suitable surrogates for virus fate, transport, and removal throughout a water reuse scheme. Various microbial targets (11 viruses, two phage, and three bacteria) were monitored using molecular and culture methods across all treatment stages in a wastewater reclamation facility and advanced water treatment facility. Criteria were established for identifying suitable surrogates, which included reliable detection, observable fate and transport, calculable log-reduction values (LRVs), correlations with other targets, and various morphological types. In total, five viruses (PMMoV, AiV, GII NoV, AdV, FRNA GII) met these stringent criteria and were suggested as potential virus surrogates. These surrogates enabled successful comparison of assigned versus actual LRVs throughout a water reuse scheme. Results suggest that virus pathogens are effectively removed throughout water reuse treatment and the suggested surrogates can be utilized for monitoring treatment performance and ensuring public health safety. This study provides a framework that water utilities across the world can reference for establishing virus monitoring practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley W Schmitz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E1A, #07-03, No. 1 Engineering Drive 2 117576, Singapore; Current affiliation: Loudoun Water, 44865 Loudoun Water Way, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| | - Julio A Polanco
- Orange County Water District (OCWD), Department of Research and Development, 18700 Ward St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708, USA
| | - Hongjie Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E1A, #07-03, No. 1 Engineering Drive 2 117576, Singapore
| | - Avnika Manaktala
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E1A, #07-03, No. 1 Engineering Drive 2 117576, Singapore
| | - Xiaoqiong Gu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E1A, #07-03, No. 1 Engineering Drive 2 117576, Singapore
| | - Shin Giek Goh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E1A, #07-03, No. 1 Engineering Drive 2 117576, Singapore
| | - Karina Yew-Hoong Gin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E1A, #07-03, No. 1 Engineering Drive 2 117576, Singapore
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2
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Vigil K, D'Souza N, Bazner J, Cedraz FMA, Fisch S, Rose JB, Aw TG. Long-term monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater using a coordinated workflow of droplet digital PCR and nanopore sequencing. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 254:121338. [PMID: 38430753 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genome sequencing are important methods for wastewater surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The reverse transcription-droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) is a highly sensitive method for quantifying SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater samples to track the trends of viral activity levels but cannot identify new variants. It also takes time to develop new PCR-based assays targeting variants of interest. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) can be used to monitor known and new SARS-CoV-2 variants, but it is generally not quantitative. Several short-read sequencing techniques can be expensive and might experience delayed turnaround times when outsourced due to inadequate in-house resources. Recently, a portable nanopore sequencing system offers an affordable and real-time method for sequencing SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater. This technology has the potential to enable swift response to disease outbreaks without relying on clinical sequencing results. In addressing concerns related to rapid turnaround time and accurate variant analysis, both RT-ddPCR and nanopore sequencing methods were employed to monitor the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater. This surveillance was conducted at 23 sewer maintenance hole sites and five wastewater treatment plants in Michigan from 2020 to 2022. In 2020, the wastewater samples were dominated by the parental variants (20A, 20C and 20 G), followed by 20I (Alpha, B.1.1.7) in early 2021 and the Delta variant of concern (VOC) in late 2021. For the year 2022, Omicron variants dominated. Nanopore sequencing has the potential to validate suspected variant cases that were initially undetermined by RT-ddPCR assays. The concordance rate between nanopore sequencing and RT-ddPCR assays in identifying SARS-CoV-2 variants to the clade-level was 76.9%. Notably, instances of disagreement between the two methods were most prominent in the identification of the parental and Omicron variants. We also showed that sequencing wastewater samples with SARS-CoV-2 N gene concentrations of >104 GC/100 ml as measured by RT-ddPCR improve genome recovery and coverage depth using MinION device. RT-ddPCR was better at detecting key spike protein mutations A67V, del69-70, K417N, L452R, N501Y, N679K, and R408S (p-value <0.05) as compared to nanopore sequencing. It is suggested that RT-ddPCR and nanopore sequencing should be coordinated in wastewater surveillance where RT-ddPCR can be used as a preliminary quantification method and nanopore sequencing as the confirmatory method for the detection of variants or identification of new variants. The RT-ddPCR and nanopore sequencing methods reported here can be adopted as a reliable in-house analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater for rapid community level surveillance and public health response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Vigil
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2100, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Nishita D'Souza
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Julia Bazner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Fernanda Mac-Allister Cedraz
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2100, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Samuel Fisch
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2100, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Joan B Rose
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Tiong Gim Aw
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2100, New Orleans, LA 70112, United States.
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3
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Perry WB, Chrispim MC, Barbosa MRF, de Souza Lauretto M, Razzolini MTP, Nardocci AC, Jones O, Jones DL, Weightman A, Sato MIZ, Montagner C, Durance I. Cross-continental comparative experiences of wastewater surveillance and a vision for the 21st century. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170842. [PMID: 38340868 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the epidemiological value of monitoring wastewater into sharp focus. The challenges of implementing and optimising wastewater monitoring vary significantly from one region to another, often due to the array of different wastewater systems around the globe, as well as the availability of resources to undertake the required analyses (e.g. laboratory infrastructure and expertise). Here we reflect on the local and shared challenges of implementing a SARS-CoV-2 monitoring programme in two geographically and socio-economically distinct regions, São Paulo state (Brazil) and Wales (UK), focusing on design, laboratory methods and data analysis, and identifying potential guiding principles for wastewater surveillance fit for the 21st century. Our results highlight the historical nature of region-specific challenges to the implementation of wastewater surveillance, including previous experience of using wastewater surveillance, stakeholders involved, and nature of wastewater infrastructure. Building on those challenges, we then highlight what an ideal programme would look like if restrictions such as resource were not a constraint. Finally, we demonstrate the value of bringing multidisciplinary skills and international networks together for effective wastewater surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana Cardoso Chrispim
- Environmental and Biosciences Department, School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Halmstad University, Kristian IV:s väg 3, 30118 Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Mikaela Renata Funada Barbosa
- Environmental Analysis Department, Environmental Company of the São Paulo State (CETESB), Av. Prof. Frederico Hermann Jr., 345, São Paulo CEP 05459-900, Brazil; NARA - Center for Research in Environmental Risk Assessment, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Department, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 715, 01246-904 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo de Souza Lauretto
- NARA - Center for Research in Environmental Risk Assessment, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Department, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 715, 01246-904 São Paulo, Brazil; School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo, Rua Arlindo Bettio, 1000, São Paulo CEP 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Tereza Pepe Razzolini
- NARA - Center for Research in Environmental Risk Assessment, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Department, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 715, 01246-904 São Paulo, Brazil; School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, Environmental Health Department, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 715, 01246-904 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adelaide Cassia Nardocci
- NARA - Center for Research in Environmental Risk Assessment, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Department, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 715, 01246-904 São Paulo, Brazil; School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, Environmental Health Department, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 715, 01246-904 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Owen Jones
- School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4AG, UK
| | - Davey L Jones
- Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK; Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6105, Australia
| | | | - Maria Inês Zanoli Sato
- Environmental Analysis Department, Environmental Company of the São Paulo State (CETESB), Av. Prof. Frederico Hermann Jr., 345, São Paulo CEP 05459-900, Brazil; NARA - Center for Research in Environmental Risk Assessment, School of Public Health, Environmental Health Department, Av. Dr Arnaldo, 715, 01246-904 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cassiana Montagner
- Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083970, Brazil
| | - Isabelle Durance
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
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4
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Brighton K, Fisch S, Wu H, Vigil K, Aw TG. Targeted community wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and Mpox virus during a festival mass-gathering event. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167443. [PMID: 37793442 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance has emerged recently as a powerful approach to understanding infectious disease dynamics in densely populated zones. Wastewater surveillance, while promising as a public health tool, is often hampered by slow turn-around times, complex analytical protocols, and resource-intensive techniques. In this study, we evaluated an affinity capture method and microfluidic digital PCR as a rapid approach to quantify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) virus, and fecal indicator, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in wastewater during a mass-gathering event. Wastewater samples (n = 131) were collected from residential and commercial manholes, pump stations, and a city's wastewater treatment plant. The use of Nanotrap® Microbiome Particles and microfluidic digital PCR produced comparable results to other established methodologies, with reduced process complexity and analytical times, providing same day results for public health preparedness and response. Using indigenous SARS-CoV-2 and PMMoV in wastewater, the average viral recovery efficiency was estimated at 10.1 %. Both SARS-CoV-2 N1 and N2 genes were consistently detected throughout the sampling period, with increased RNA concentrations mainly in wastewater samples collected from commercial area after festival mass gatherings. The mpox virus was sporadically detected in wastewater samples during the surveillance period, without distinct temporal trends. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in the city's wastewater mirrored the city's COVID-19 cases, confirming the predictive properties of wastewater surveillance. Wastewater surveillance continues to be beneficial for tracking diseases that display gastrointestinal symptoms, including SARS-CoV-2, and can be a powerful tool for sentinel surveillance. However, careful site selection and a thorough understanding of community dynamics are necessary when performing targeted surveillance during temporary mass-gathering events as potential confirmation bias may occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keegan Brighton
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Samuel Fisch
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Huiyun Wu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Katie Vigil
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Tiong Gim Aw
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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5
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Rao G, Capone D, Zhu K, Knoble A, Linden Y, Clark R, Lai A, Kim J, Huang CH, Bivins A, Brown J. Simultaneous detection and quantification of multiple pathogen targets in wastewater. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.06.23.23291792. [PMID: 37425908 PMCID: PMC10327253 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.23.23291792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a critical tool for public health surveillance, building on decades of environmental surveillance work for pathogens such as poliovirus. Work to date has been limited to monitoring a single pathogen or small numbers of pathogens in targeted studies; however, few studies consider simultaneous quantitative analysis of a wide variety of pathogens, which could greatly increase the utility of wastewater surveillance. We developed a novel quantitative multi-pathogen surveillance approach (35 pathogen targets including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths) using TaqMan Array Cards (TAC) and applied the method on concentrated wastewater samples collected at four wastewater treatment plants in Atlanta, GA from February to October of 2020. From sewersheds serving approximately 2 million people, we detected a wide range of targets including many we expected to find in wastewater (e.g., enterotoxigenic E. coli and Giardia in 97% of 29 samples at stable concentrations) as well as unexpected targets including Strongyloides stercoralis (a human threadworm rarely observed in the USA). Other notable detections included SARS-CoV-2, but also several pathogen targets that are not commonly included in wastewater surveillance like Acanthamoeba spp., Balantidium coli, Entamoeba histolytica, astrovirus, norovirus, and sapovirus. Our data suggest broad utility in expanding the scope of enteric pathogen surveillance in wastewaters, with potential for application in a variety of settings where pathogen quantification in fecal waste streams can inform public health surveillance and selection of control measures to limit infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gouthami Rao
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Drew Capone
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Kevin Zhu
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Abigail Knoble
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yarrow Linden
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ryan Clark
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Amanda Lai
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Juhee Kim
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ching-Hua Huang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Joe Brown
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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6
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Haver A, Theijn R, Grift ID, Raaijmakers G, Poorter E, Laros JFJ, van Dissel JT, Lodder WJ. Regional reemergence of a SARS-CoV-2 Delta lineage amid an Omicron wave detected by wastewater sequencing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17870. [PMID: 37857658 PMCID: PMC10587120 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44500-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The implementation and integration of wastewater-based epidemiology constitutes a valuable addition to existing pathogen surveillance systems, such as clinical surveillance for SARS-CoV-2. In the Netherlands, SARS-CoV-2 variant circulation is monitored by performing whole-genome sequencing on wastewater samples. In this manuscript, we describe the detection of an AY.43 lineage (Delta variant) amid a period of BA.5 (Omicron variant) dominance in wastewater samples from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) during the months of August and September of 2022. Our results describe a temporary emergence, which was absent in samples from other WWTPs, and which coincided with peaks in viral load. We show how these lineage estimates can be traced back to lineage-specific substitution patterns. The absence of this variant from reported clinical data, but high associated viral loads suggest cryptic transmission. Our findings highlight the additional value of wastewater surveillance for generating insights into circulating pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auke Haver
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics (HG), Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Rick Theijn
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ivo D Grift
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Gino Raaijmakers
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Elsa Poorter
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen F J Laros
- Department of Human Genetics (HG), Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of BioInformatics and Computational Services (BIR), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap T van Dissel
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn J Lodder
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
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7
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Chen W, Bibby K. Making waves: Establishing a modeling framework to evaluate novel targets for wastewater-based surveillance. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 245:120573. [PMID: 37688859 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) monitoring of pathogens circulating within a community provides an improved understanding of the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases. However, the potential suitability of WBS for novel disease targets is unclear, including many emerging and neglected diseases. The current ad hoc approach of conducting wastewater detection experiments on novel disease targets to determine their suitability for WBS monitoring is resource intensive and may stall investment in this promising technology. In addition, detections, or non-detections, without the context of disease prevalence and shedding by infected individuals are difficult to interpret upon initial WBS target development. In this paper, we present a WBS feasibility analysis framework to identify which diseases are theoretically appropriate for WBS applications and to improve the initial interpretation of target detections. We then discuss five primary factors that influence the probability of detection in WBS monitoring - genome shedding rate, infection rate, per capita wastewater usage, process limit of detection (PLOD), and the number of PCR replicates. Clarifying the relationships between these factors and the likelihood of detection enhances quantitative insights into applying WBS, guiding researchers and stakeholders into mitigating inherent uncertainties of wastewater monitoring and subsequent improvements in WBS outcomes, thereby supporting future investment and expansion of WBS research, especially in novel disease targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Chen
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States.
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8
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Corchis-Scott R, Geng Q, Al Riahi AM, Labak A, Podadera A, Ng KKS, Porter LA, Tong Y, Dixon JC, Menard SL, Seth R, McKay RM. Actionable wastewater surveillance: application to a university residence hall during the transition between Delta and Omicron resurgences of COVID-19. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1139423. [PMID: 37265515 PMCID: PMC10230041 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1139423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance has gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as an effective and non-biased means to track community infection. While most surveillance relies on samples collected at municipal wastewater treatment plants, surveillance is more actionable when samples are collected "upstream" where mitigation of transmission is tractable. This report describes the results of wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 at residence halls on a university campus aimed at preventing outbreak escalation by mitigating community spread. Another goal was to estimate fecal shedding rates of SARS-CoV-2 in a non-clinical setting. Passive sampling devices were deployed in sewer laterals originating from residence halls at a frequency of twice weekly during fall 2021 as the Delta variant of concern continued to circulate across North America. A positive detection as part of routine sampling in late November 2021 triggered daily monitoring and further isolated the signal to a single wing of one residence hall. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 within the wastewater over a period of 3 consecutive days led to a coordinated rapid antigen testing campaign targeting the residence hall occupants and the identification and isolation of infected individuals. With knowledge of the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19, fecal shedding rates were estimated to range from 3.70 log10 gc ‧ g feces-1 to 5.94 log10 gc ‧ g feces-1. These results reinforce the efficacy of wastewater surveillance as an early indicator of infection in congregate living settings. Detections can trigger public health measures ranging from enhanced communications to targeted coordinated testing and quarantine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryland Corchis-Scott
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Qiudi Geng
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Abdul Monem Al Riahi
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Amr Labak
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Ana Podadera
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Kenneth K. S. Ng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa A. Porter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Yufeng Tong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Jess C. Dixon
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | | | - Rajesh Seth
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - R. Michael McKay
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
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9
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Schill R, Nelson KL, Harris-Lovett S, Kantor RS. The dynamic relationship between COVID-19 cases and SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations across time and space: Considerations for model training data sets. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 871:162069. [PMID: 36754324 PMCID: PMC9902279 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater-based surveillance has been used alongside diagnostic testing to monitor infection rates. With the decline in cases reported to public health departments due to at-home testing, wastewater data may serve as the primary input for epidemiological models, but training these models is not straightforward. We explored factors affecting noise and bias in the ratio between wastewater and case data collected in 26 sewersheds in California from October 2020 to March 2022. The strength of the relationship between wastewater and case data appeared dependent on sampling frequency and population size, but was not increased by wastewater normalization to flow rate or case count normalization to testing rates. Additionally, the lead and lag times between wastewater and case data varied over time and space, and the ratio of log-transformed individual cases to wastewater concentrations changed over time. This ratio decreased between the Epsilon/Alpha and Delta variant surges of COVID-19 and increased during the Omicron BA.1 variant surge, and was also related to the diagnostic testing rate. Based on this analysis, we present a framework of scenarios describing the dynamics of the case to wastewater ratio to aid in data handling decisions for ongoing modeling efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Schill
- TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Kara L Nelson
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Rose S Kantor
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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10
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Jarvie MM, Reed-Lukomski M, Southwell B, Wright D, Nguyen TNT. Monitoring of COVID-19 in wastewater across the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANCES 2023; 11:100326. [PMID: 36471702 PMCID: PMC9714184 DOI: 10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is being used as a tool to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and provide an early warning for the presence or increase of clinical cases in a community. The majority of wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19 tracking has been utilized in sewersheds that service populations in the tens-to-hundreds of thousands. Few studies have been conducted to assess the usefulness of wastewater in predicting COVID-19 clinical cases specifically in rural areas. This study collected samples from 16 locations across the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan from June to December 2021. Sampling locations included 12 rural municipalities, a Tribal housing community and casino, a public university, three municipalities that also contained a prison, and a small island with heavy tourist traffic. Samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 N1, N2, and variant gene copies using reverse transcriptase droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-ddPCR). Wastewater N1 and N2 gene copies and clinical case counts were correlated to determine if wastewater results were predictive of clinical cases. Significant correlation between N1 and N2 gene copies and clinical cases was found for all sites (⍴= 0.89 to 0.48). N1 and N2 wastewater results were predictive of clinical case trends within 0-7 days. The Delta variant was detected in the Pickford and St. Ignace samples more than 12-days prior to the first reported Delta clinical cases in their respective counties. Locations with low correlation could be attributed to their high rates of tourism. This is further supported by the high correlation seen in the public university, which is a closed population. Long-term wastewater monitoring over a large, rural geographic area is useful for informing the public of potential outbreaks in the community regardless of asymptomatic cases and access to clinical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Jarvie
- School of Science and Medicine, Lake Superior State University, 650 W. Easterday Ave., Sault Ste, Marie, MI 49783, USA
| | - Moriah Reed-Lukomski
- School of Science and Medicine, Lake Superior State University, 650 W. Easterday Ave., Sault Ste, Marie, MI 49783, USA
| | - Benjamin Southwell
- School of Science and Medicine, Lake Superior State University, 650 W. Easterday Ave., Sault Ste, Marie, MI 49783, USA
| | - Derek Wright
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, Lake Superior State University, 650 W. Easterday Ave., Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783, USA
| | - Thu N T Nguyen
- School of Science and Medicine, Lake Superior State University, 650 W. Easterday Ave., Sault Ste, Marie, MI 49783, USA
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11
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Ando H, Murakami M, Ahmed W, Iwamoto R, Okabe S, Kitajima M. Wastewater-based prediction of COVID-19 cases using a highly sensitive SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection method combined with mathematical modeling. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 173:107743. [PMID: 36867995 PMCID: PMC9824953 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has the potential to predict COVID-19 cases; however, reliable methods for tracking SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations (CRNA) in wastewater are lacking. In the present study, we developed a highly sensitive method (EPISENS-M) employing adsorption-extraction, followed by one-step RT-Preamp and qPCR. The EPISENS-M allowed SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection from wastewater at 50 % detection rate when newly reported COVID-19 cases exceed 0.69/100,000 inhabitants in a sewer catchment. Using the EPISENS-M, a longitudinal WBE study was conducted between 28 May 2020 and 16 June 2022 in Sapporo City, Japan, revealing a strong correlation (Pearson's r = 0.94) between CRNA and the newly COVID-19 cases reported by intensive clinical surveillance. Based on this dataset, a mathematical model was developed based on viral shedding dynamics to estimate the newly reported cases using CRNA data and recent clinical data prior to sampling day. This developed model succeeded in predicting the cumulative number of newly reported cases after 5 days of sampling day within a factor of √2 and 2 with a precision of 36 % (16/44) and 64 % (28/44), respectively. By applying this model framework, another estimation mode was developed without the recent clinical data, which successfully predicted the number of COVID-19 cases for the succeeding 5 days within a factor of √2 and 2 with a precision of 39 % (17/44) and 66 % (29/44), respectively. These results demonstrated that the EPISENS-M method combined with the mathematical model can be a powerful tool for predicting COVID-19 cases, especially in the absence of intensive clinical surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Ando
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Michio Murakami
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Ryo Iwamoto
- Shionogi & Co. Ltd, 1-8, Doshomachi 3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka 541-0045, Japan; AdvanSentinel Inc, 1-8 Doshomachi 3-Chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka 541-0045, Japan
| | - Satoshi Okabe
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
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12
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Sangsanont J, Rattanakul S, Makkaew P, Precha N, Rukthanapitak P, Sresung M, Siri Y, Kitajima M, Takeda T, Haramoto E, Puenpa J, Wanlapakorn N, Poovorawan Y, Mongkolsuk S, Sirikanchana K. Wastewater monitoring in tourist cities as potential sentinel sites for near real-time dynamics of imported SARS-CoV-2 variants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160317. [PMID: 36436629 PMCID: PMC9691270 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) complements the clinical surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants' distribution in populations. Many developed nations have established national and regional WBE systems; however, governance and budget constraints could be obstacles for low- and middle-income countries. An urgent need thus exists to identify hotspots to serve as sentinel sites for WBE. We hypothesized that representative wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in two international gateway cities, Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand, could be sentineled for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants to reflect the clinical distribution patterns at city level and serve as early indicators of new variants entering the country. Municipal wastewater samples (n = 132) were collected from eight representative municipal WWTPs in Bangkok and Phuket during 19 sampling events from October 2021 to March 2022, which were tested by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) using the US CDC N1 and N2 multiplex and variant (Alpha, Delta, and Omicron BA.1 and BA.2) singleplex assays. The variant detection ratios from Bangkok and Phuket followed similar trends to the national clinical testing data, and each variant's viral loads agreed with the daily new cases (3-d moving average). Omicron BA.1 was detected in Phuket wastewater prior to Bangkok, possibly due to Phuket's WWTPs serving tourist communities. We found that the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 viral loads predominantly drove the SARS-CoV-2 resurgence. We also noted a shifting pattern in the Bangkok WBE from a 22-d early warning in early 2021 to a near real-time pattern in late 2021. The potential application of tourist hotspots for WBE to indicate the arrival of new variants and re-emerging or unprecedented infectious agents could support tourism-dependent economies by complementing the reduced clinical regulations while maintaining public health protection via wastewater surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jatuwat Sangsanont
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Water Science and Technology for Sustainable Environmental Research Group, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Surapong Rattanakul
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
| | - Prasert Makkaew
- Department of Environmental Health and Technology, School of Public Health, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand; One Health Research Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Nopadol Precha
- Department of Environmental Health and Technology, School of Public Health, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand; One Health Research Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Pratchaya Rukthanapitak
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Montakarn Sresung
- Research Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Yadpiroon Siri
- Environmental, Safety Technology and Health Program, School of Public Health, Walailak University, Thaiburi, Thasala, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Tomoko Takeda
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Eiji Haramoto
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
| | - Jiratchaya Puenpa
- Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Nasamon Wanlapakorn
- Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Yong Poovorawan
- Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Skorn Mongkolsuk
- Research Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok 10210, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, MHESI, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Kwanrawee Sirikanchana
- Research Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok 10210, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, MHESI, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
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13
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Prasek SM, Pepper IL, Innes GK, Slinski S, Betancourt WQ, Foster AR, Yaglom HD, Porter WT, Engelthaler DM, Schmitz BW. Variant-specific SARS-CoV-2 shedding rates in wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159165. [PMID: 36195153 PMCID: PMC9527179 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies show that SARS-CoV-2 waste shedding rates vary by community and are influenced by multiple factors; however, differences in shedding rates across multiple variants have yet to be evaluated. The purpose of this work is to build on previous research that evaluated waste shedding rates for early SARS-CoV-2 and the Delta variant, and update population level waste shedding rates for the more-recent Omicron variant in six communities. Mean SARS-CoV-2 waste shedding rates were found to increase with the predominance of the Delta variant and subsequently decrease with Omicron infections. Interestingly, the Delta stage had the highest mean shedding rates and was associated with the most severe disease symptoms reported in other clinical studies, while Omicron, exhibiting reduced symptoms, had the lowest mean shedding rates. Additionally, shedding rates were most consistent across communities during the Omicron stage. This is the first paper to identify waste shedding rates specific to the Omicron variant and fills a knowledge gap critical to disease prevalence modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Prasek
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center, University of Arizona, 2959 W. Calle Agua Nueva, Tucson, AZ 85745, USA
| | - Ian L Pepper
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center, University of Arizona, 2959 W. Calle Agua Nueva, Tucson, AZ 85745, USA
| | - Gabriel K Innes
- Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA), University of Arizona, 6425 W. 8th St., Yuma, AZ 85364, USA
| | - Stephanie Slinski
- Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA), University of Arizona, 6425 W. 8th St., Yuma, AZ 85364, USA
| | - Walter Q Betancourt
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center, University of Arizona, 2959 W. Calle Agua Nueva, Tucson, AZ 85745, USA
| | - Aidan R Foster
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center, University of Arizona, 2959 W. Calle Agua Nueva, Tucson, AZ 85745, USA
| | - Hayley D Yaglom
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), 445 N. Fifth Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - W Tanner Porter
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), 445 N. Fifth Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - David M Engelthaler
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), 445 N. Fifth Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Bradley W Schmitz
- Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA), University of Arizona, 6425 W. 8th St., Yuma, AZ 85364, USA.
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14
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Hopkins L, Persse D, Caton K, Ensor K, Schneider R, McCall C, Stadler LB. Citywide wastewater SARS-CoV-2 levels strongly correlated with multiple disease surveillance indicators and outcomes over three COVID-19 waves. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158967. [PMID: 36162580 PMCID: PMC9507781 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Public health surveillance systems for COVID-19 are multifaceted and include multiple indicators reflective of different aspects of the burden and spread of the disease in a community. With the emergence of wastewater disease surveillance as a powerful tool to track infection dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, there is a need to integrate and validate wastewater information with existing disease surveillance systems and demonstrate how it can be used as a routine surveillance tool. A first step toward integration is showing how it relates to other disease surveillance indicators and outcomes, such as case positivity rates, syndromic surveillance data, and hospital bed use rates. Here, we present an 86-week long surveillance study that covers three major COVID-19 surges. City-wide SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral loads in wastewater were measured across 39 wastewater treatment plants and compared to other disease metrics for the city of Houston, TX. We show that wastewater levels are strongly correlated with positivity rate, syndromic surveillance rates of COVID-19 visits, and COVID-19-related general bed use rates at hospitals. We show that the relative timing of wastewater relative to each indicator shifted across the pandemic, likely due to a multitude of factors including testing availability, health-seeking behavior, and changes in viral variants. Next, we show that individual WWTPs led city-wide changes in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads, indicating a distributed monitoring system could be used to enhance the early-warning capability of a wastewater monitoring system. Finally, we describe how the results were used in real-time to inform public health response and resource allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren Hopkins
- Houston Health Department, 8000 N. Stadium Dr., Houston, TX, United States of America; Department of Statistics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 138, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - David Persse
- Houston Health Department, 8000 N. Stadium Dr., Houston, TX, United States of America; Department of Medicine and Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America; City of Houston Emergency Medical Services, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Kelsey Caton
- Houston Health Department, 8000 N. Stadium Dr., Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Katherine Ensor
- Department of Statistics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS 138, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Schneider
- Houston Health Department, 8000 N. Stadium Dr., Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Camille McCall
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS-519, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Lauren B Stadler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS-519, Houston, TX, United States of America.
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15
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Wurtzer S, Levert M, Dhenain E, Accrombessi H, Manco S, Fagour N, Goulet M, Boudaud N, Gaillard L, Bertrand I, Challant J, Masnada S, Azimi S, Gillon-Ritz M, Robin A, Mouchel JM, Sig O, Moulin L. From Alpha to Omicron BA.2: New digital RT-PCR approach and challenges for SARS-CoV-2 VOC monitoring and normalization of variant dynamics in wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 848:157740. [PMID: 35917966 PMCID: PMC9338838 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, new variants have continuously emerged and spread in populations. Among these, variants of concern (VOC) have been the main culprits of successive epidemic waves, due to their transmissibility, pathogenicity or ability to escape the immune response. Quantification of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes in raw wastewater is a reliable approach well-described and widely deployed worldwide to monitor the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in human populations connected to sewage systems. Discrimination of VOCs in wastewater is also a major issue and can be achieved by genome sequencing or by detection of specific mutations suggesting the presence of VOCs. This study aimed to date the emergence of these VOCs (from Alpha to Omicron BA.2) by monitoring wastewater from the greater Paris area, France, but also to model the propagation dynamics of these VOCs and to characterize the replacement kinetics of the prevalent populations. These dynamics were compared to various individual-centered public health data, such as regional incidence and the proportions of VOCs identified by sequencing of strains isolated from patient. The viral dynamics in wastewater highlighted the impact of the vaccination strategy on the viral circulation within human populations but also suggested its potential effect on the selection of variants most likely to be propagated in immunized populations. Normalization of concentrations to capture population movements appeared statistically more reliable using variations in local drinking water consumption rather than using PMMoV concentrations because PMMoV fecal shedding was subject to variability and was not sufficiently relevant in this study. The dynamics of viral spread was observed earlier (about 13 days on the wave related to Omicron VOC) in raw wastewater than the regional incidence alerting to a possible risk of decorrelation between incidence and actual virus circulation probably resulting from a lower severity of infection in vaccinated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Wurtzer
- Eau de Paris, Research & Development, 33 avenue Jean Jaures, FR-94200 Ivry sur Seine, France.
| | - Morgane Levert
- Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619 Metis, e-LTER Zone Atelier Seine, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Eloïse Dhenain
- Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619 Metis, e-LTER Zone Atelier Seine, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Heberte Accrombessi
- Eau de Paris, Research & Development, 33 avenue Jean Jaures, FR-94200 Ivry sur Seine, France
| | - Sandra Manco
- Eau de Paris, Research & Development, 33 avenue Jean Jaures, FR-94200 Ivry sur Seine, France
| | - Nathalie Fagour
- Eau de Paris, Research & Development, 33 avenue Jean Jaures, FR-94200 Ivry sur Seine, France
| | - Marion Goulet
- Eau de Paris, Research & Development, 33 avenue Jean Jaures, FR-94200 Ivry sur Seine, France
| | | | - Lucie Gaillard
- ACTALIA, Food Safety Department, F-50000 Saint-Lô, France
| | | | - Julie Challant
- University of Lorraine, CNRS, LCPME, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Sophie Masnada
- SIAM - STV, Avenue de la courtiere, FR-77400 Saint Thibault des vignes, France
| | - Sam Azimi
- SIAAP, Innovation Department, 82 Avenue Kléber, FR-92700 Colombes, France
| | - Miguel Gillon-Ritz
- Direction de la Proprete et de l'Eau - Service Technique de l'Eau et de l'Assainissement, Rue du Commandeur, FR-75014 Paris, France
| | - Alban Robin
- Eau de Paris, Research & Development, 33 avenue Jean Jaures, FR-94200 Ivry sur Seine, France
| | - Jean-Marie Mouchel
- Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619 Metis, e-LTER Zone Atelier Seine, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Obepine Sig
- Sorbonne Universite, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619 Metis, e-LTER Zone Atelier Seine, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Laurent Moulin
- Eau de Paris, Research & Development, 33 avenue Jean Jaures, FR-94200 Ivry sur Seine, France
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16
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Pang X, Gao T, Ellehoj E, Li Q, Qiu Y, Maal-Bared R, Sikora C, Tipples G, Diggle M, Hinshaw D, Ashbolt NJ, Talbot J, Hrudey SE, Lee BE. Wastewater-Based Surveillance Is an Effective Tool for Trending COVID-19 Prevalence in Communities: A Study of 10 Major Communities for 17 Months in Alberta. ACS ES&T WATER 2022; 2:2243-2254. [PMID: 36380772 PMCID: PMC9514327 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The correlations between SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater from 12 wastewater treatment plants and new COVID-19 cases in the corresponding sewersheds of 10 communities were studied over 17 months. The analysis from the longest continuous surveillance reported to date revealed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels correlated well with temporal changes of COVID-19 cases in each community. The strongest correlation was found during the third wave (r = 0.97) based on the population-weighted SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater. Different correlations were observed (r from 0.51 to 0.86) in various sizes of communities. The population in the sewershed had no observed effects on the strength of the correlation. Fluctuation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater mirrored increases and decreases of COVID-19 cases in the corresponding community. Since the viral shedding to sewers from all infected individuals is included, wastewater-based surveillance provides an unbiased and no-discriminate estimation of the prevalence of COVID-19 compared with clinical testing that was subject to testing-seeking behaviors and policy changes. Wastewater-based surveillance on SARS-CoV-2 represents a temporal trend of COVID-19 disease burden and is an effective and supplementary monitoring when the number of COVID-19 cases reaches detectable thresholds of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater of treatment facilities serving various sizes of populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Pang
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
- Alberta
Precision Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J2, Canada
| | - Tiejun Gao
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
| | - Erik Ellehoj
- Ellehoj
Redmond Consulting, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 0Y4, Canada
| | - Qiaozhi Li
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
| | - Yuanyuan Qiu
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
| | | | - Christopher Sikora
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
| | - Graham Tipples
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
- Alberta
Precision Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J2, Canada
| | - Mathew Diggle
- Alberta
Precision Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J2, Canada
| | - Deena Hinshaw
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
| | | | - James Talbot
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
| | - Steve E. Hrudey
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
| | - Bonita E. Lee
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, and Department of
Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E2, Canada
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17
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Rainey AL, Loeb JC, Robinson SE, Davis P, Liang S, Lednicky JA, Coker ES, Sabo-Attwood T, Bisesi JH, Maurelli AT. Assessment of a mass balance equation for estimating community-level prevalence of COVID-19 using wastewater-based epidemiology in a mid-sized city. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19085. [PMID: 36352013 PMCID: PMC9645338 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21354-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a valuable epidemiologic tool to detect the presence of pathogens and track disease trends within a community. WBE overcomes some limitations of traditional clinical disease surveillance as it uses pooled samples from the entire community, irrespective of health-seeking behaviors and symptomatic status of infected individuals. WBE has the potential to estimate the number of infections within a community by using a mass balance equation, however, it has yet to be assessed for accuracy. We hypothesized that the mass balance equation-based approach using measured SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations can generate accurate prevalence estimates of COVID-19 within a community. This study encompassed wastewater sampling over a 53-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic in Gainesville, Florida, to assess the ability of the mass balance equation to generate accurate COVID-19 prevalence estimates. The SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration showed a significant linear association (Parameter estimate = 39.43, P value < 0.0001) with clinically reported COVID-19 cases. Overall, the mass balance equation produced accurate COVID-19 prevalence estimates with a median absolute error of 1.28%, as compared to the clinical reference group. Therefore, the mass balance equation applied to WBE is an effective tool for generating accurate community-level prevalence estimates of COVID-19 to improve community surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L. Rainey
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Sarah E. Robinson
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, PO Box 110885, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Paul Davis
- Gainesville Regional Utilities, Gainesville, FL 32614 USA
| | - Song Liang
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Eric S. Coker
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Tara Sabo-Attwood
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, PO Box 110885, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Joseph H. Bisesi
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, 2187 Mowry Road, PO Box 110885, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Anthony T. Maurelli
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Road, PO Box 100009, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
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18
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Dumke R, Geissler M, Skupin A, Helm B, Mayer R, Schubert S, Oertel R, Renner B, Dalpke AH. Simultaneous Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Virus in Wastewater of Two Cities in Southeastern Germany, January to May 2022. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192013374. [PMID: 36293955 PMCID: PMC9603229 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Dependent on the excretion pattern, wastewater monitoring of viruses can be a valuable approach to characterizing their circulation in the human population. Using polyethylene glycol precipitation and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, the occurrence of RNA of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses A/B in the raw wastewater of two treatment plants in Germany between January and May 2022 was investigated. Due to the relatively high incidence in both exposal areas (plant 1 and plant 2), SARS-CoV-2-specific RNA was determined in all 273 composite samples analyzed (concentration of E gene: 1.3 × 104 to 3.2 × 106 gc/L). Despite a nation-wide low number of confirmed infections, influenza virus A was demonstrated in 5.2% (concentration: 9.8 × 102 to 8.4 × 104 gc/L; plant 1) and in 41.6% (3.6 × 103 to 3.0 × 105 gc/L; plant 2) of samples. Influenza virus B was detected in 36.0% (7.2 × 102 to 8.5 × 106 gc/L; plant 1) and 57.7% (9.6 × 103 to 2.1 × 107 gc/L; plant 2) of wastewater samples. The results of the study demonstrate the frequent detection of two primary respiratory viruses in wastewater and offer the possibility to track the epidemiology of influenza by wastewater-based monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Dumke
- Institute of Medical Microbiology und Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Michael Geissler
- Institute of Medical Microbiology und Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Annett Skupin
- Institute of Medical Microbiology und Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Björn Helm
- Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Robin Mayer
- Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Sara Schubert
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01217 Dresden, Germany
| | - Reinhard Oertel
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Bertold Renner
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander H. Dalpke
- Institute of Medical Microbiology und Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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19
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McGowan J, Borucki M, Omairi H, Varghese M, Vellani S, Chakravarty S, Fan S, Chattopadhyay S, Siddiquee M, Thissen JB, Mulakken N, Moon J, Kimbrel J, Tiwari AK, Taylor RT, Kang DW, Jaing C, Chakravarti R, Chattopadhyay S. SARS-CoV-2 Monitoring in Wastewater Reveals Novel Variants and Biomarkers of Infection. Viruses 2022; 14:2032. [PMID: 36146835 PMCID: PMC9503862 DOI: 10.3390/v14092032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a popular tool for the early indication of community spread of infectious diseases. WBE emerged as an effective tool during the COVID-19 pandemic and has provided meaningful information to minimize the spread of infection. Here, we present a combination of analyses using the correlation of viral gene copies with clinical cases, sequencing of wastewater-derived RNA for the viral mutants, and correlative analyses of the viral gene copies with the bacterial biomarkers. Our study provides a unique platform for potentially using the WBE-derived results to predict the spread of COVID-19 and the emergence of new variants of concern. Further, we observed a strong correlation between the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and changes in the microbial community of wastewater, particularly the significant changes in bacterial genera belonging to the families of Lachnospiraceae and Actinomycetaceae. Our study shows that microbial biomarkers could be utilized as prediction tools for future infectious disease surveillance and outbreak responses. Overall, our comprehensive analyses of viral spread, variants, and novel bacterial biomarkers will add significantly to the growing body of literature on WBE and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna McGowan
- Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Monica Borucki
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Hicham Omairi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Toledo College of Engineering, Toledo, OH 43607, USA
| | - Merina Varghese
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Shahnaz Vellani
- Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Sukanya Chakravarty
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Shumin Fan
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Srestha Chattopadhyay
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | - Mashuk Siddiquee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Toledo College of Engineering, Toledo, OH 43607, USA
| | - James B. Thissen
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Nisha Mulakken
- Computing Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Joseph Moon
- Computing Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Jeffrey Kimbrel
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Amit K. Tiwari
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
- Center for Medical Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates
| | - Roger Travis Taylor
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Dae-Wook Kang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Toledo College of Engineering, Toledo, OH 43607, USA
| | - Crystal Jaing
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Ritu Chakravarti
- Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Saurabh Chattopadhyay
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
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