Surveillance of adenoviruses and noroviruses in European recreational waters

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 1025 - 1038
• Main Authors: Wyn-Jones, A. Peter, Carducci, Annalaura, Cook, Nigel, D’Agostino, Martin, Divizia, Maurizio, Fleischer, Jens, Gantzer, Christophe, Gawler, Andrew, Girones, Rosina, Höller, Christiane, de Roda Husman, Ana Maria, Kay, David, Kozyra, Iwona, López-Pila, Juan, Muscillo, Michele, José Nascimento, Maria São, Papageorgiou, George, Rutjes, Saskia, Sellwood, Jane, Szewzyk, Regine, Wyer, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2011; Elsevier; Elsevier B.V; IWA Publishing/Elsevier; Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd
• Subjects: Adenoviridae - genetics; Adenoviridae - isolation & purification; Adenovirus; Adenoviruses; Aigua de mar; Aigua dolça; Applied sciences; Bathing; Bathing water; Ecology, environment; Environmental Monitoring; Europa; Europe; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh water; Fresh Water - virology; Freshwaters; Human; Life Sciences; Marine; Microbiology and Parasitology; Norovirus - genetics; Norovirus - isolation & purification; Noroviruses; Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge; Pollution; Qualitat de l'aigua; Recreation; Recreational water; Recreational waters; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; River water; Sea water; Seawater; Seawater - virology; Surveillance; Virology; Viruses; Wastes; Water Microbiology; Water quality; Water treatment and pollution; Europe; Recreational water; Adenoviruses; Noroviruses; Water quality; River water; Bathing water; Sea water; Carbonaceous materials; Microbiology; Environmental policy; Indicator; Polymerase chain reaction; Health and environment; Adsorption; Surveillance; European directive; Pathogenic; Surface water; Health hazards; Stream; Biological contamination; Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; Public health; Seawater
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2010.10.015

Exposure to human pathogenic viruses in recreational waters has been shown to cause disease outbreaks. In the context of Article 14 of the revised European Bathing Waters Directive 2006/7/EC (rBWD, CEU, 2006) a Europe-wide surveillance study was carried out to determine the frequency of occurrence of two human enteric viruses in recreational waters. Adenoviruses were selected based on their near-universal shedding and environmental survival, and noroviruses (NoV) selected as being the most prevalent gastroenteritis agent worldwide. Concentration of marine and freshwater samples was done by adsorption/elution followed by molecular detection by (RT)-PCR. Out of 1410 samples, 553 (39.2%) were positive for one or more of the target viruses. Adenoviruses, detected in 36.4% of samples, were more prevalent than noroviruses (9.4%), with 3.5% GI and 6.2% GII, some samples being positive for both GI and GII. Of 513 human adenovirus-positive samples, 63 (12.3%) were also norovirus-positive, whereas 69 (7.7%) norovirus-positive samples were adenovirus-negative. More freshwater samples than marine water samples were virus-positive. Out of a small selection of samples tested for adenovirus infectivity, approximately one-quarter were positive. Sixty percent of 132 nested-PCR adenovirus-positive samples analysed by quantitative PCR gave a mean value of over 3000 genome copies per L of water. The simultaneous detection of infectious adenovirus and of adenovirus and NoV by (RT)PCR suggests that the presence of infectious viruses in recreational waters may constitute a public health risk upon exposure. These studies support the case for considering adenoviruses as an indicator of bathing water quality.