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Cost-effective Method for Microbial Source Tracking Using Specific Human and Animal Viruses
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Microbial Source Tracking Analysis Using Viral Indicators in Santa Lucía and Uruguay Rivers, Uruguay
Viviana Bortagaray1, Andrés Lizasoain1, Claudia Piccini2
1Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Biological Sciences, CENUR Litoral Norte, Sede Salto, Universidad de la República, Salto, Uruguay.
Food and Environmental Virology
|April 5, 2019
Summary
Human and bovine fecal contamination is present in Uruguayan rivers, impacting water quality. Viral markers revealed sewage discharge issues from cities and farms.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Water quality assessment
- Virology
Background:
- Surface water contamination poses risks to public health and ecosystems.
- Microbial Source Tracking (MST) using viral markers is crucial for identifying pollution origins.
- Adenoviruses and polyomaviruses serve as effective indicators for fecal contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the origin and concentration of fecal contamination in Uruguayan rivers.
- To utilize host-specific viral markers (adenoviruses, polyomaviruses) for Microbial Source Tracking (MST).
- To assess the influence of environmental factors on virus presence in surface waters.
Main Methods:
- Monthly collection of surface water samples from Santa Lucía basin and Uruguay River.
- Concentration of viral particles using absorption-elution method.
- Quantitative PCR (qPCR) for detecting and quantifying human adenovirus (HAdV), porcine adenovirus (PAdV), human polyomavirus (HPyV), and bovine polyomavirus (BoPyV).
- Integrated cell culture-qPCR (ICC-qPCR) to assess HAdV infectivity.
- Logistic regression analysis for environmental variable influence.
Main Results:
- Human adenovirus (HAdV) was the most prevalent virus (18%), followed by bovine polyomavirus (BoPyV) (11%) and human polyomavirus (HPyV) (3%).
- Porcine adenovirus (PAdV) was not detected.
- Mean viral concentrations ranged from 1.5 × 10⁴ gc/L (HAdV) to 1.8 × 10² gc/L (HPyV).
- Infective HAdVs were detected in 20% of samples.
- Environmental temperature and river type significantly influenced human virus presence.
Conclusions:
- Fecal contamination, primarily from human and bovine sources, affects the water quality of the Santa Lucía basin and Uruguay River.
- Results indicate potential deficiencies in sewage discharge management from urban areas and agricultural activities (livestock, dairy farms).
- Continued monitoring and improved wastewater treatment are recommended to mitigate contamination risks.
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