Waterborne human pathogenic viruses of public health concern (original) (raw)
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Global public health implications of human exposure to viral contaminated water
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2022
Enteric viruses are common waterborne pathogens found in environmental water bodies contaminated with either raw or partially treated sewage discharge. Examples of these viruses include adenovirus, rotavirus, noroviruses, and other caliciviruses and enteroviruses like coxsackievirus and polioviruses. They have been linked with gastroenteritis, while some enteric viruses have also been implicated in more severe infections such as encephalitis, meningitis, hepatitis (hepatitis A and E viruses), cancer (polyomavirus), and myocarditis (enteroviruses). Therefore, this review presents information on the occurrence of enteric viruses of public health importance, diseases associated with human exposure to enteric viruses, assessment of their presence in contaminated water, and their removal in water and wastewater sources. In order to prevent illnesses associated with human exposure to viral contaminated water, we suggest the regular viral monitoring of treated wastewater before discharging...
Waterborne Transmission of Enteric Viruses and Their Impact on Public Health
Emerging and Reemerging Viral Pathogens, 2020
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid HAV hepatitis A virus HBoV human bocavirus HEV hepatitis E virus NoV norovirus NSP nonstructural proteins ORF open reading frame PCR polymerase chain reaction RDRP RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase RNA ribonucleic acid VP structural proteins
Human enteric viruses in the water environment: a minireview
International Microbiology, 2010
Water virology started around half a century ago, with scientists attempting to detect poliovirus in water samples. Since that time, other enteric viruses responsible for gastroenteritis and hepatitis, among a great variety of virus strains, have replaced enteroviruses as the main target for detection in the water environment. Technical molecular developments, polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) amplification being the method of choice, enable the detection of fastidious health-significant viruses. However, shortcomings of molecular procedures include their potential incompatibility with concentration methods, indispensable to reduce the water sample volume to assay for viruses, and the inability to discern between infectious and non infectious material. On the other hand, these procedures are restrained to sophisticated laboratories and detection of alternative indicator organisms has been proposed. Bacterial indicators fail to give a reliable clue of the virological quality of water. Selected bacteriophage groups appear as a better choice for their use as virus indicators.
Public health significance of viral contamination of drinking water
African Journal of …, 2009
Groundwater is the commonest transmission route for these viruses. About 50% of groundwater related disease outbreaks are attributable to viruses. Recent studies in developed countries have focused on public water systems, unfortunately, without much attention to private household wells and storage facilities. This paper reviews disease outbreaks attributed to water-borne viruses, the public health significance of enteric viral diseases and problems encountered in the development of diagnostic assays. The objective of this review is to confer the rationale for more research to provide reliable baseline information on the significance of water-borne viruses in the developing world. Since the virological quality of drinking water can no longer be compromised, rapid and sensitive methods for detecting enteric viruses in drinking water, recreational water and their sources is a necessity. As a preventive measure, ground, surface and treated drinking water must be protected from viral contamination. Enforcement of legislative measures for regular viral monitoring of drinking water in the industry will ensure safety of consumers.
The viral contamination of water for human consumption is a common cause of diseases outbreaks, therefore, a matter of great relevance for public health, especially in developing countries. In most countries, legislation recommends the study of coliforms to indicate the potability of water, however, this is not correlated with the presence of virus. The present review sought to characterize the epidemiological importance of waterborne viral diseases and the limitations of laboratorial detection and elimination of these pathogens. Besides, the state of art of virus as a tool to assess the quality of the water, as well as, the use of a single virus as the indicator of environmental contamination by virus itself are presented. Reports have demonstrated that some viruses are resistant to conventional water treatment process. Changes in water treatment policy should be achieved, and, should involve viral detection and resistance to physical and chemical agents, amongst other methods. How...
Emerging and potentially emerging viruses in water environments
Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 2012
Among microorganisms, viruses are best fit to become emerging pathogens since they are able to adapt not only by mutation but also through recombination and reassortment and can thus become able to infect new hosts and to adjust to new environments. Enteric viruses are among the commonest and most hazardous waterborne pathogens, causing both sporadic and outbreak-related illness. The main health effect associated with enteric viruses is gastrointestinal illness, but they can also cause respiratory symptoms, conjunctivitis, hepatitis, central nervous system infections, and chronic diseases. Non-enteric viruses, such as respiratory and epitheliotrophic viruses are not considered waterborne, as they are not readily transmitted to water sources from infected individuals. The present review will focus on viral pathogens shown to be transmitted through water. It will also provide an overview of viruses that had not been a concern for waterborne transmission in the past, but that may represent potentially emerging waterborne pathogens due to their occurrence and persistence in water environments.
Waterborne Viral Pathogens: Detection, Control and Monitoring of Water Quality for Human Consumption
VIRUS Reviews & Research, 2013
The viral contamination of water for human consumption is a common cause of diseases outbreaks, therefore, a matter of great relevance for public health, especially in developing countries. In most countries, legislation recommends the study of coliforms to indicate the potability of water, however, this is not correlated with the presence of virus. The present review sought to characterize the epidemiological importance of waterborne viral diseases and the limitations of laboratorial detection and elimination of these pathogens. Besides, the state of art of virus as a tool to assess the quality of the water, as well as, the use of a single virus as the indicator of environmental contamination by virus itself are presented. Reports have demonstrated that some viruses are resistant to conventional water treatment process. Changes in water treatment policy should be achieved, and, should involve viral detection and resistance to physical and chemical agents, amongst other methods. However, we have to bear in mind that the decrease of waterborne infectious diseases is greatly dependent upon the improvement of sanitation, water treatment, together with preventive measures. All those measures together could ensure appropriate conditions for the promotion of human health and the reduction of environmental impacts.
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2010
There are still conflicting results on the suitability of chemical and microbiological parameters as indicators for the viral contamination of surface waters. In this study, conducted over 20 months, the abundance of human adenovirus, human polyomavirus, enterovirus, group A rotavirus and norovirus was determined in Ruhr and Rhine rivers, Germany. Additionally, prevalence of different possible indicators such as somatic coliphages, E. coli, intestinal enterococci, and total coliforms was also considered. Moreover, the chemical parameter TCPP (tris-(2-chloro-, 1-methyl-ethyl)-phosphate), characterized by environmental stability and human origin, was included. Furthermore, chemical parameters (fluoride, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, bromide, phosphate, and sulfate) which may influence the stability and subsequently the detection rates of viruses in aquatic environment were measured. Quantitative Real-Time (RT-)PCR and double agar layer test were used for the quantification of human enteric viruses and somatic coliphages, respectively. The analyses for E. coli, total coliforms, and intestinal enterococci were done with respect to the standard reference method. The chemical parameters were measured by liquid chromatography of ions and by gas chromatography-flame photometer detector (GC-FPD), respectively. We demonstrated that human adenovirus had the highest detection rate (96.3%), followed by somatic coliphages (73.5%), human polyomavirus (68.6%), and rotavirus (63.5%). However, norovirus GII and enterovirus were found in only 25.7 and 17.8%, respectively. The concentration of the viral genome ranged between 16 and 1.1 × 10 6 gen. equ./l (genome equivalents/l) whereas the concentrations for TCPP ranged between 0.01 and 0.9 g/l. The results of the Pearson correlation showed no association between TCPP and any other microbiological parameter. None of the other tested chemical parameters correlated negatively, and therefore they do not influence the stability of enteric viruses. We conclude that neither TCPP nor any other chemical or microbiological parameter can be used as a reliable indicator for the presence of enteric viruses in river water.