Relative Abundance of Human Bocaviruses in Urban Sewage in Greater Cairo,Egypt

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is predominantly found in the respiratory tract infections and in the stool of patients with gastroenteritis symptoms. However, data on the prevalence of HBoV genotypes in environmental samples are limited. Here we addressed the prevalence of HBoV in sewage collected from three different wastewater treatment plants in Egypt. HBoV-1, HBoV-2, and HBoV-3 were detected, whereas none of the samples were positive for HBoV-4. The median concentration of HBoV in influent samples was 8.5 × 10³ GC/l for HBoV-1, 3.0 × 10⁴ GC/l for HBoV-2, and 2.5 × 10⁴ GC/l for HBoV-3. The concentration was reduced but not completely removed in the effluent samples. The median concentration in the outlet samples was 2.9 × 10³ GC/l for HBoV-1, 4.1 × 10³ GC/l for HBoV-2, and 2.1 × 10³ GC/l for HBoV-3. Moreover, no seasonality pattern of HBoVs was found. The high incidence of HBoV in sewage samples provided an evidence of its circulation in the local population. Although the role of HBoV in respiratory or gastro-intestinal infections still remains to be fully elucidated, the risk of infection via contaminated water should be taken into consideration.     

Detection and Characterization of Hepatitis A Virus and Norovirus in Mussels from Galicia (NW Spain)

Shellfish are recognized as a potential vehicle of viral disease and despite the control measures for shellfish safety there is periodic emergence of viral outbreaks associated with shellfish consumption. In this study a total of 81 mussel samples from Ría do Burgo, A Coruña (NW Spain) were analysed. Samples were collected in seven different harvesting areas with the aim to establish a correlation between the prevalence of norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in mussel samples and the water quality. In addition, the genogroup of the detected HAV and NoV strains was also determined. The HAV presence was detected in 18.5 % of the samples. Contamination levels for this virus ranged from 1.1 × 10² to 4.1 × 10⁶ RNA copies/g digestive tissue. NoV were detected in 49.4 % of the cases reaching contamination levels from 5.9 × 10³ to 1.6 × 10⁹ RNA copies/g digestive tissue for NoV GI and from 6.1 × 10³ to 5.4 × 10⁶ RNA copies/g digestive tissue for NoV GII. The χ²-test showed no statistical correlation between the number of positive samples and the classification of molluscan harvesting area based on the E. coli number. All the detected HAV strains belong to genogroup IB. NoV strains were assigned to genotype I.4, II.4 and II.6.     

The occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in fluoropolymer raw materials and products made in China

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related compounds were listed as new persistent organic pollutants by the Stockholm Convention in 2019. In this study, the occurrence of residues of PFOA and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in raw materials and fluoropolymer products from the Chinese fluoropolymer industries are reported for the first time. The PFOA concentrations in raw materials and fluoropolymer products were in the range of 6.7 to 1.1 × 10⁶ ng/g, and <MDL (method detection limit) to 5.3 × 10³ ng/g, respectively. Generally, the levels of PFOA in raw materials were higher than in products, implying that PFOA in the emulsion/dispersion resin could be partly removed during the polymerization or post-processing steps. By tracking a company's polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) production line, it was found that over a 5 year period, the residual levels of PFOA in emulsion samples declined from 1.1 × 10⁶ to 28.4 ng/g, indicating that the contamination of PFOA in fluoropolymer products from production source gradually decreased after its use had been discontinued. High concentrations of HFPO-TrA (2.7 × 10⁵ to 8.2 × 10⁵ ng/g) were detected in some emulsion samples indicating this alternative has been widely applied in fluoropolymer manufacturing in China.     

Assessment of the Risks for Human Health of Adenoviruses,Hepatitis A Virus,Rotaviruses and Enteroviruses in the Buffalo River and Three Source Water Dams in the Eastern Cape

Buffalo River is an important water resource in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The potential risks of infection constituted by exposure to human enteric viruses in the Buffalo River and three source water dams along its course were assessed using mean values and static quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). The daily risks of infection determined by the exponential model [for human adenovirus (HAdV) and enterovirus (EnV)] and the beta-Poisson model (for hepatitis A virus (HAV) and rotavirus (RoV)) varied with sites and exposure scenario. The estimated daily risks of infection values at the sites where the respective viruses were detected, ranged from 7.31 × 10^?3 to 1 (for HAdV), 4.23 × 10^?2 to 6.54 × 10^?1 (RoV), 2.32 × 10^?4 to 1.73 × 10^?1 (HAV) and 1.32 × 10^?4 to 5.70 × 10^?2 (EnV). The yearly risks of infection in individuals exposed to the river/dam water via drinking, recreational, domestic or irrigational activities were unacceptably high, exceeding the acceptable risk of 0.01 % (10^?4 infection/person/year), and the guideline value used as by several nations for drinking water. The risks of illness and death from infection ranged from 6.58 × 10^?5 to 5.0 × 10^?1 and 6.58 × 10^?9 to 5.0 × 10^?5, respectively. The threats here are heightened by the high mortality rates for HAV, and its endemicity in South Africa. Therefore, we conclude that the Buffalo River and its source water dams are a public health hazard. The QMRA presented here is the first of its kinds in the Eastern Cape Province and provides the building block for a quantitatively oriented local guideline for water quality management in the Province.     

Environmental Surveillance for Noroviruses in Selected South African Wastewaters 2015–2016: Emergence of the Novel GII.17

Norovirus (NoV) GII.4 is the predominant genotype associated with gastroenteritis pandemics and new strains emerge every 2–3 years. Between 2008 and 2011, environmental studies in South Africa (SA) reported NoVs in 63% of the sewage-polluted river water samples. The aim of this study was to assess whether wastewater samples could be used for routine surveillance of NoVs, including GII.4 variants. From April 2015 to March 2016, raw sewage and effluent water samples were collected monthly from five wastewater treatment plants in SA. A total of 108 samples were screened for NoV GI and GII using real-time RT-qPCR. Overall 72.2% (78/108) of samples tested positive for NoVs with 4.6% (5/108) GI, 31.5% (34/108) GII and 36.1% (39/108) GI + GII strains being detected. Norovirus concentrations ranged from 1.02 × 10² to 3.41 × 10⁶ genome copies/litre for GI and 5.00 × 10³ to 1.31 × 10⁶ genome copies/litre for GII. Sixteen NoV genotypes (GI.2, GI.3, GI.4, GI.5, GI.6, GII.2, GII.3, GII.4, GII.7, GII.9, GII.10, GII.14, GII.16, GII.17, GII.20, and GII.21) were identified. Norovirus GII.2 and GII.17 co-dominated and the majority of GII.17 strains clustered with the novel Kawasaki 2014 variant. Sewage surveillance facilitated detection of Kawasaki 2014 in SA, which to date has not been detected with surveillance in children with gastroenteritis <5 years of age. Combined surveillance in the clinical setting and environment appears to be a valuable strategy to monitor emergence of NoV strains in countries that lack NoV outbreak surveillance.     

Quantitative PCR Detection and Characterisation of Human Adenovirus,Rotavirus and Hepatitis A Virus in Discharged Effluents of Two Wastewater Treatment Facilities in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

The occurrence of enteric viruses in reclaimed wastewater, their removal by efficient treatment processes and the public health hazards associated with their release into the environments are of great significance in environmental microbiology. In this study, TaqMan-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to assess the prevalence of human adenovirus (HAdV), rotavirus (RV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the final effluents of two wastewater treatment plants in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, over a twelve-month sampling period. The correlation between the concentrations of viruses in the effluents samples and faecal coliform (FC) densities were assessed as to validate the use of FC as microbiological indicator in water quality assessment. HAdV was detected in 62.5 % (30/48) of the samples with concentrations ranging between 8.4 × 10¹ and 1.0 × 10⁵ genome copies/L while HAV and RV were only detected at concentrations below the set detection limits. FCs densities ranged from 1 to 2.7 × 10⁴ CFU/100 ml. Adenovirus species HAdV-B (serotype 2) and HAdV-F (serotype 41) were detected in 86.7 % (26/30) and 6.7 % (2/30) of the HAdV-positive samples, respectively. No consistent seasonal trend was observed in HAdV concentrations, however, increased concentrations of HAdV were generally observed in the winter months. Also, there was no correlation between the occurrence of HAdV and FC at both the treatment plants. The persistent occurrence of HAdV in the discharged treated effluents points to the potential public health risk through the release of HAdV into the receiving watersheds, and the possibility of their transmission to human population.     

Human Bocavirus: Detection,Quantification and Molecular Characterization in Sewage and Surface Waters in Uruguay

Human bocavirus (HBoV) infections are related to respiratory and gastroenteric diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of HBoV in both sewage and surface waters in Uruguay. Sixty-eight sewage samples from the cities of Salto, Paysandú, Bella Unión, Fray Bentos, Treinta y Tres and Melo and 36 surface water samples from the cities of Salto, Florida and Santa Lucía were studied. HBoV was screened by multiplex qPCR for the detection of the four subtypes, followed by monoplex qPCRs for the independent quantification of each subtype. A qualitative PCR followed by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis was carried out for molecular characterization of HBoV strains. HBoV was present in a high frequency (69%) in sewage and only one positive sample (3%) was found in surface water. Concerning sewage samples, HBoV1 was detected in 11 (23%) out of the 47 positives samples, with a mean concentration of 8.2 × 10⁴ genomic copies/Liter (gc/L), HBoV3 was detected in 35 (74%) of the positive samples with a mean concentration of 4.1 × 10⁶ gc/L and subtypes 2 and/or 4 were detected in 39 (83%) of the positive samples with a mean concentration of 7.8 × 10⁶ gc/L. After the phylogenetic analysis performed by a Bayesian approach, the four HBoV subtypes were confirmed. This is the first study determining a high frequency of HBoV and the presence of the four HBoV subtypes in aquatic matrices in Latin America, mainly in sewage. Although HBoV was scarcely detected in surface water, a waterborne transmission is likely to occur if people enter in contact with polluted surface waters for recreational activities such as fishing or swimming since an elevated frequency of HBoV was detected in raw sewage which is usually directly discharged into surface waters.     

Quantification and Genotyping of Aichi Virus 1 in Water Samples in the Kathmandu Valley,Nepal

Aichi virus 1 genomes were detected by quantitative PCR in groundwater from shallow dug (10/22) and tube wells (1/15), river water (14/14), and sewage (1/1), with the maximum concentration of 4.0 × 10⁹ copies/l. Nucleotide sequencing analysis demonstrated the prevalence of genotype B in the virus positive samples.     

Detection of Torque Teno Sus Virus in Pork Bile and Liver Sausages

Torque teno viruses (TTV) are small DNA viruses widespread among humans and pigs. The clinical significance of TTV infections in either humans or pigs is uncertain. In fact, TTV viremia is highly prevalent in patients with different pathologies, but it can also be frequently observed in healthy subjects. Virus infection in pigs is considered a putative cofactor in several diseases; despite being detected frequently in healthy animals, its role still remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of Torque teno sus virus (TTSuV) in 62 bile samples collected from pigs at slaughterhouse and in 36 fresh pork liver sausages bought at point of sale. Quantitative Real-Time PCR, confirmed that 19.4 and 58.3 % of bile and sausage samples tested positive for TTSuV, respectively. The mean viral load was established as 5.6 × 10⁴ GE/µl for bile and 7.16 × 10³ GE/g for sausages. TTSuV nucleotide sequence analysis confirmed a wide heterogeneity among the circulating TTSuV strains, which included both TTSuV1 and TTSuV2.     

Oyster Contamination with Human Noroviruses Impacted by Urban Drainage and Seasonal Flooding in Vietnam

This study investigated the level of norovirus contamination in oysters collected at a lagoon receiving urban drainage from Hue City for 17 months (August 2015–December 2016). We also investigated the genetic diversity of norovirus GI and GII in oyster and wastewater samples by using pyrosequencing to evaluate the effect of urban drainage on norovirus contamination of oysters. A total of 34 oyster samples were collected at two sampling sites (stations A and B) in a lagoon. Norovirus GI was more frequently detected than GII (positive rate 79 vs. 41%). Maximum concentrations of GI and GII were 2.4 × 10⁵ and 2.3 × 10⁴ copies/g, respectively. Co-contamination with GI and GII was observed in 35% of samples. Norovirus GII concentration was higher at station A in the flood season than in the dry season (P = 0.04, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Six genotypes (GI.2, GI.3, GI.5, GII.2, GII.3, and GII.4) were identified in both wastewater and oyster samples, and genetically similar or identical sequences were obtained from the two types of samples. These observations suggest that urban drainage and seasonal flooding contribute to norovirus contamination of oysters in the study area.     

GIV Noroviruses in Wastewaters and in Stool Specimens from Hospitalized Patients

Noroviruses (NoVs) are important human pathogens associated with foodborne and waterborne gastroenteritis. These viruses are genetically highly heterogeneous, with more than forty genotypes within three genogroups (GI, GII, and GIV) identified in humans. However, the vast majority of human infections are associated with variants of a unique genotype, GII.4. Aside from these NoV strains of epidemiological relevance, NoV strains of genogroup GIV (Alphatron-like) are reported in a sporadic fashion and their overall prevalence in the community is unknown and this likely reflects the lack of specific diagnostic tools. We analyzed raw sewages collected from 32 wastewater treatment plants distributed throughout Italy (307 samples) and stool specimens collected from hospitalized patients with clinical signs of diarrhea of unknown etiology (285 samples). By using specific qualitative and quantitative RT-PCR assays, 21.8 % of the sewage samples and 3.2 % of the stool specimens tested positive for GIV NoVs. The number of genome copies in fecal samples ranged from 5.08 × 10⁴ to 1.73× 10⁶/g of feces. Sequence analysis showed limited genetic variability in human GIV viruses. The presence of GIV NoV both in sewage and in clinical samples confirms that not only GI and GII NoVs but also GIV strains are circulating in humans. Monitoring of GIV NoV is recommended in order to understand the dynamics of circulation in human populations, environmental contamination, and potential health risks.     

多壁碳纳米管修饰丝网印刷电极同时检测水中苯二酚异构体的研究

采用丝网印刷技术和滴涂法制备了一种可抛型的多壁碳纳米管修饰丝网印刷电极,并将其用于水中的对苯二酚、 邻苯二酚和间苯二酚等苯二酚异构体的同时检测.苯二酚在此修饰电极上的循环伏安行为考察显示,该电极可较好地区分3种异构体的氧化峰,对其氧化还原反应有明显的电催化作用;以差示脉冲伏安法检测对苯二酚、 邻苯二酚和间苯二酚的混合水样,其峰电流与浓度分别在8.20×10^-6～1.00×10^-3、 8.20×10^-6～1.00×10^-3和1.64×10^-5～1.16×10^-3 mol·L^-1范围内呈良好的线性关系,检出限分别达4.34×10^-6、 3.42×10^-6和6.70×10^-6 mol·L^-1;对污染水样进行测定,加标回收率为96.2%～104.9%.研究结果表明,多壁碳纳米管修饰的丝网印刷电极可用于苯二酚异构体污染水样的现场快速检测.     

Characterizing the antibiotic resistance genes in a river catchment: Influence of anthropogenic activities

Previous studies on environmental antibiotics resistance genes(ARGs) have focused on the pollution sources such as wastewater treatment plants, aquaculture and livestock farms,etc. Few of them had addressed this issue in a regional scale such as river catchment. Hence,the occurrence and abundances of 23 ARGs were investigated in surface water samples collected from 38 sites which located from the river source to estuary of the Beijiang River.Among them, 11 ARGs were frequently detected in this region and 5 ARGs(sul I, sul II, tet B,tet C, and tet W) were selected for their distribution pattern analysis. The abundances of the selected ARGs were higher in the upstream(8.70 × 10~6 copies/ng DNA) and downstream areas(3.17 × 10~6 copies/ng DNA) than those in the midstream areas(1.23 × 10~6 copies/ng DNA), which was positively correlated to the population density and number of pollution sources. Pollution sources of ARGs along the Beijiang River not only had a great impact on the abundances and diversity, but also on the distribution of specific ARGs in the water samples. Both sul I and sul II were likely originated from aquaculture farms and animal farms,tet W gene was possibly associated with the mining/metal melting industry and the electric waste disposal and tet C gene was commonly found in the area with multiple pollution sources.However, the abundance of tet B was not particularly related to anthropogenic impacts. These findings highlight the influence of pollution sources and density of population on the distribution and dissemination of ARGs at a regional scale.     

Distribution of Naturally Occurring Norovirus Genogroups I,II, and IV in Oyster Tissues

This study evaluated different tissues of naturally contaminated oysters (Crassostrea belcheri) for the presence of noroviruses. RNA from digestive tissues, gills, and mantle of the oysters was extracted and tested for norovirus genogroup (G) I, GII, and GIV using RT-nested PCR. In spiking experiments with a known norovirus, GII.4, the detection limits were 2.97 × 10² RNA copies/g of digestive tissues, 2.62 × 10² RNA copies/g of gills, and 1.61 × 10³ RNA copies/g of mantle. A total of 85 oyster samples were collected from a fresh market in Bangkok, Thailand. Noroviruses were found in the oyster samples (40/85, 47%): GI (29/85, 34.1%), GII (9/85, 10.5%), mixed GI and GII (1/85, 1.2%), and GIV (1/85, 1.2%). All three genogroups were found in the digestive tissues of oysters. Norovirus GI was present in all three tissues with the highest frequency in the mantle, and was additionally detected in multiple tissues in some oysters. GII was also detected in all three tissues, but was not detected in multiple tissues in the same oyster. For genogroup I, only GI.2 could be identified and it was found in all tissues. For genogroup II, three different genotypes were identified, namely GII.4 which was detected in the gills and the mantle, GII.17 which was detected in the digestive tissues, and GII.21 which was detected in the mantle. GIV.1 was identified in the digestive tissues of one oyster. This is the first report on the presence of human GIV.1 in oyster in Thailand, and the results indicate oyster as a possible vehicle for transmission of all norovirus genogroups in Thailand.     

Microbiological quality of roof tank water in an urban village in southeastern China

Urban villages are unique residential neighborhoods in urban areas in China. Roof tanks are their main form of water supply, and water quality deterioration might occur in this system because of poor hygienic conditions and maintenance. In this study, water samples were seasonally collected from an urban village to investigate the influence of roof tanks as an additional water storage device on the variation in the microbial community structure and pathogenic gene markers. Water stagnation in th...     

Government environmental control measures on CO2 emission during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing: Perspectives from a top-down approach

Strict air pollution control measures were conducted during the Youth Olympic Games（YOG） period at Nanjing city and surrounding areas in August 2014.This event provides a unique chance to evaluate the effect of government control measures on regional atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.Many previous studies have observed significant reductions of atmospheric pollution species and improvement in air quality,while no study has quantified its synergism on anthropogenic CO₂...