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Quantification and Whole Genome Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater and Air Samples
Published on: June 30, 2023
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Biomarkers Selection for Population Normalization in SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater-based Epidemiology
Shu-Yu Hsu1,2, Mohamed B Bayati1, Chenhui Li1
1School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA.
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|March 22, 2022
Summary
Paraxanthine (PARA), a caffeine metabolite, is a superior biomarker for tracking SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater compared to pMMoV. PARA enables accurate per capita normalization of viral loads, improving correlation with reported cases and real-time population assessment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Public health
- Analytical chemistry
Background:
- Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is crucial for tracking SARS-CoV-2.
- Accurate normalization of viral loads requires reliable population biomarkers.
- Existing methods using pepper mild mottle virus (pMMoV) have limitations.
Approach:
- Investigated five population biomarkers: pMMoV, creatinine, 5-HIAA, caffeine (CAF), and paraxanthine (PARA).
- Developed direct and indirect normalization approaches for SARS-CoV-2 loads.
- Evaluated biomarker utility for real-time population assessment and correlation with clinical cases.
Key Points:
- Paraxanthine (PARA) demonstrated superior reliability and temporal consistency over other biomarkers.
- PARA allows for direct normalization of SARS-CoV-2 loads per capita without flowrate or population data.
- PARA-normalized viral loads significantly improved correlation with reported COVID-19 cases.
Conclusions:
- Paraxanthine (PARA) is a highly accurate and reliable chemical biomarker for SARS-CoV-2 WBE.
- PARA offers an excellent alternative to pMMoV for population dynamics assessment and disease forecasting.
- This approach enhances the understanding of local population size and distribution for public health surveillance.
