Quantification and potential viability of human noroviruses in final effluent from wastewater treatment works in Pretoria, South Africa

dc.contributor.authorMabasa, V.V.
dc.contributor.authorVan Zyl, Walda B.
dc.contributor.authorTaylor, Maureen B.
dc.contributor.authorMans, Janet
dc.contributor.emailjanet.mans@up.ac.zaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-16T12:50:22Z
dc.date.available2025-01-16T12:50:22Z
dc.date.issued2024-06
dc.description.abstractGrowing global concerns over water scarcity, worsened by climate change, drive wastewater reclamation efforts. Inadequately treated wastewater presents significant public health risks. Previous studies in South Africa (SA) have reported high norovirus levels in final effluent and sewage-polluted surface water, indicating pathogen removal inefficiency. However, the viability of these virions was not explored. This study assessed human norovirus viability in final effluent from wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) in Pretoria, SA. Between June 2018 and August 2020, 200 samples were collected from two WWTWs, including raw sewage and final effluent. Norovirus concentrations were determined using in-house RNA standards. Viability of noroviruses in final effluent was assessed using viability RT-qPCR (vPCR) with PMAxx™-Triton X-100. There was no significant difference in GI concentrations between raw sewage (p=0.5663) and final effluent (p=0.4035) samples at WWTW1 and WWTW2. WWTW1 had significantly higher GII concentrations in raw sewage (p<0.001) compared to WWTW2. No clear seasonal pattern was observed in norovirus concentrations. At WWTW1, 50% (7/14) of GI- and 64.9% (24/37) of GII-positive final effluent samples had no quantifiable RNA after vPCR. At WWTW2, the majority (92.6%, 25/27) of GII-positive final effluent samples showed a 100% RNA reduction post vPCR. PMAxx™-Triton X-100 vPCR provides a more accurate refection of discharge of potentially viable noroviruses in the environment than standard RT-qPCR. Despite significant reductions in potentially viable noroviruses after wastewater treatment, the levels of potentially viable viruses in final effluent are still of concern due to the high initial load and low infectious dose of noroviruses.en_US
dc.description.departmentMedical Virologyen_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-beingen_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-06:Clean water and sanitationen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe University of Pretoria.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://link.springer.com/journal/12560en_US
dc.identifier.citationMabasa, V.V., van Zyl, W.B., Taylor, M.B. et al. Quantification and Potential Viability of Human Noroviruses in Final Effluent from Wastewater Treatment Works in Pretoria, South Africa. Food and Environmental Virology 16, 200–215 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12560-024-09589-0.en_US
dc.identifier.issn1867-0334 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1867-0342 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s12560-024-09589-0
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/100107
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSpringeren_US
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2024. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.en_US
dc.subjectNorovirusen_US
dc.subjectPMAxx™en_US
dc.subjectViabilityen_US
dc.subjectSDG-03: Good health and well-beingen_US
dc.subjectSDG-06: Clean water and sanitationen_US
dc.subjectSouth Africa (SA)en_US
dc.subjectWastewater treatment work (WWTW)en_US
dc.subjectReverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)en_US
dc.titleQuantification and potential viability of human noroviruses in final effluent from wastewater treatment works in Pretoria, South Africaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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