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. 2016 Dec;8(4):262-274.
doi: 10.1007/s12560-016-9246-4. Epub 2016 May 28.

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

Martins Ajibade Adefisoye  1   2 , Uchechukwu U Nwodo  3   4 , Ezekiel Green  4 , Anthony Ifeanyin Okoh  3   4
Affiliations

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

Martins Ajibade Adefisoye et al. Food Environ Virol. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Environmental microbiology; Human adenovirus; Public health; Wastewater; qPCR.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Monthly variation in HAdV concentrations in wastewater samples from the two study sites. Key SFE-SWTP final effluent sample; SDP-SWTP discharge point sample; KFE: KWTP final effluent sample; KDP: KWTP discharge point sample
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Seasonal distribution of HAdV concentration at all sampling points
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Monthly variation in FC counts in wastewater samples from the two study sites. Key SFE-SWTP final effluent sample; SDP-SWTP discharge point sample; KFE: KWTP final effluent sample; KDP: KWTP discharge point sample
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