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. 2023 Nov 10:10:44-51.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2023.11.005. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Omicron and Delta variant prevalence detection and identification during the fourth COVID-19 wave in Mexico using wastewater-based epidemiology

Alberto Aguayo-Acosta  1   2 , Mariel Araceli Oyervides-Muñoz  1   2 , Kassandra O Rodriguez-Aguillón  1   2 , Antonio Ovalle-Carcaño  1   2 , Kenya D Romero-Castillo  2 , Alejandro Robles-Zamora  2 , Marc Johnson  3 , Roberto Parra-Saldívar  1   2 , Juan Eduardo Sosa-Hernández  1   2
Affiliations

Omicron and Delta variant prevalence detection and identification during the fourth COVID-19 wave in Mexico using wastewater-based epidemiology

Alberto Aguayo-Acosta et al. IJID Reg. .

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Omicron during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico using samples taken from 19 locations in 18 out of the 32 states.

Methods: The genetic material concentration was done with PEG/NaCl precipitation, SARS-CoV-2 presence was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, the variant detection was carried out using a commercial mutation detection panel kit, and variant/mutation confirmation was done by amplicon sequencing of receptor-binding domain target region. The study used 41 samples.

Results: The Delta variant was confirmed in two samples during August 2021 (Querétaro and CDMX) and in three samples during November 2021 (Aguascalientes, Ciudad Juárez campuses, and Nuevo Leon). In December 2021, another sample with the Delta variant was confirmed in Nuevo Leon. Between January to March 2022 only the presence of Omicron was confirmed, (variant BA.1). Additionally, in this period six samples were identified with the status "Variant Not Determined".

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this study is one of the first to identify Omicron and Delta variants with polymerase chain reaction in Mexico and Latin America and its distribution across the country with 56% Mexican states making it a viable alternative for variant detection without conducting a large quantity of sequencing of clinical tests.

Keywords: Delta; Omicron; SARS-CoV-2; Variants of concern; Wastewater-based surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Image, graphical abstract
Graphical abstract
Figure 1
Figure 1
SARS-CoV-2 architecture genome (a); SARS-CoV-2 viral particle representation (b); and, structure and infection mechanism by ACE2 recognition (c).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Wastewater sample collection points in all campuses of Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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