Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: A Comparison of Two Concentration Methods-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: A Comparison of Two Concentration Methods

Published:2024-08-31 Issue:9 Volume:16 Page:1398
ISSN:1999-4915
Container-title:Viruses
language:en
Short-container-title:Viruses

Author:

Diamanti Christina¹,Nousis Lambros¹,Bozidis Petros²^ORCID,Koureas Michalis³,Kyritsi Maria³^ORCID,Markozannes George¹^ORCID,Simantiris Nikolaos¹,Panteli Eirini¹,Koutsolioutsou Anastasia⁴,Tsilidis Konstantinos¹,Hadjichristodoulou Christos³⁴^ORCID,Koutsotoli Alexandra¹,Christaki Eirini⁵,Alivertis Dimitrios⁶,Bartzokas Aristides⁷^ORCID,Gartzonika Konstantina²,Dovas Chrysostomos⁸^ORCID,Ntzani Evangelia¹⁹¹⁰^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45100 Ioannina, Greece

2. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece

3. Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakyriazi Str., 41222 Larissa, Greece

4. National Public Health Organization, 15123 Athens, Greece

5. 1st Division of Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases Unit, University Hospital of Ioannina, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45500 Ioannina, Greece

6. Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece

7. Laboratory of Meteorology, Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

8. Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece

9. Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA

10. Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology, 45110 Ioannina, Greece

Abstract

Wastewater surveillance is crucial for the epidemiological monitoring of SARS-CoV-2. Various concentration techniques, such as skimmed milk flocculation (SMF) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, are employed to isolate the virus effectively. This study aims to compare these two methods and determine the one with the superior recovery rates. From February to December 2021, 24-h wastewater samples were collected from the Ioannina Wastewater Treatment Plant’s inlet and processed using both techniques. Subsequent viral genome isolation and a real-time RT-qPCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 were performed. The quantitative analysis demonstrated a higher detection sensitivity with a PEG-based concentration than SMF. Moreover, when the samples were positive by both methods, PEG consistently yielded higher viral loads. These findings underscore the need for further research into concentration methodologies and the development of precise protocols to enhance epidemiological surveillance through wastewater analysis.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Link

https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/9/1398/pdf

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