Relationship between viral detection and turbidity in a watershed contaminated with group A rotavirus

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 22; no. 9; pp. 6886 - 6897
• Main Authors: Assis, Andrêssa Silvino Ferreira, Cruz, Lucas Taffarel, Ferreira, Aline Siqueira, Bessa, Martha Eunice, de Oliveira Pinto, Miriam Aparecida, Vieira, Carmen Baur, Otenio, Marcelo Henrique, Miagostovich, Marize Pereira, da Rosa e Silva, Maria Luzia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-05-2015; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antigens, Viral - genetics; Aquatic environment; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Brazil; Capsid Proteins - genetics; Cities; coliform bacteria; Collection; Contamination; Drinking water; Drinking Water - virology; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Fecal coliforms; Feces; Feces - microbiology; genotype; Group a rotavirus; Infectious diseases; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; physicochemical properties; Proteins; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; Rain; Raw sewage; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Research Article; River basins; Rotavirus; Rotavirus - genetics; Rotavirus - isolation & purification; Rotavirus A; Sanitation; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sewage; Studies; Surface water; Turbidity; Urbanization; viral load; Virology; Viruses; Waste Water Technology; Water analysis; Water Management; Water Microbiology; Water Pollution Control; Water Quality; Water quality assessments; Water quality measurements; Water sampling; Water shortages; Water supply; Watersheds; Brazil; Brazil, Minas Gerais; Fecal coliform; Rotavirus; Environmental monitoring; Physico-chemical parameters; Surface water; Water quality
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3874-8

Enteric viruses are present in aquatic environments due to contamination by raw sewage, even in the absence of fecal coliforms, which are considered to be significant indicators when it comes to microbial water quality assessment. This study investigated the presence of group A rotavirus (RVA) in surface water from a river basin in Minas Gerais, Brazil, assessing the influence of the urbanization, the rainfall, and the microbiological and physico-chemical parameters regarding water quality. Forty-eight surface water samples collected in urbanized and non-urbanized areas, both in dry and rainy periods, were obtained throughout the study. The viral particles were concentrated by adsorption-elution in a negatively charged membrane. Fecal coliforms, as well as physico-chemical water parameters were determined at each point in all collections. The RVA was detected in 62.5 % (30/48) of the water samples through a real-time PCR assay. All the sequenced RVA strains belonged to genotype I1. The RVA was detected in 50.0 % (11/22) of the water samples regarded as being acceptable by current microbiological standards. The presence of the RVA and the viral load were influenced by the collection area (p < 0.05). It was also observed a significant association between the RVA and detecting the turbidity of water (p < 0.05). The collected data showed a high level of contamination in this watershed by the discharge of raw sewage, highlighting the need for urgent measures to improve water quality, ensuring the safe use of this matrix.