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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Matthew WadeORCiD, Rachel Williams
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2024 Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved. Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be a powerful tool for the population-level monitoring of pathogens, particularly SARS-CoV-2. For accurate and timely assessment, several wastewater sampling regimes and methods of viral concentration have been investigated, mainly targeting SARS-CoV-2. However, the use of passive samplers in near-source environments for a range of viruses in wastewater is yet under-investigated. To address this, near-source passive samples were taken at four locations targeting student halls of residence. These were chosen as an exemplar due to their high population density and perceived risk of disease transmission. Viruses investigated were SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs), influenza-A and B viruses and enteroviruses. Sampling was conducted either in the morning, where passive samplers were in place overnight (17 h) and during the day, where samplers remained in the sewer for 7 h. We demonstrated the usefulness of near-source passive sampling for the detection of VOCs using qPCR and Next Generation Sequencing. Furthermore, several outbreaks of influenza-A and sporadic outbreaks of enteroviruses (some associated with enterovirus D68 and coxsackieviruses) were identified amongst the resident student population, providing evidence of the usefulness of near-source, in-sewer sampling for monitoring the health of high population density communities.
Author(s): Farkas K, Kevill JL, Adwan L, Garcia-Delgado A, Dzay R, Grimsley JMS, Lambert-Slosarska K, Wade MJ, Williams RC, Martin J, Drakesmith M, Song J, McClure V, Jones DL
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Epidemiology and Infection
Year: 2024
Volume: 152
Online publication date: 08/02/2024
Acceptance date: 24/01/2024
Date deposited: 27/02/2024
ISSN (print): 0950-2688
ISSN (electronic): 1469-4409
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268824000190
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268824000190
PubMed id: 38329110
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