title: Enteric viruses in inlet and outlet samples from sewage treatment plants.
abstract: Samples collected every two weeks from the inlet and outlet of three sewage treatment plants were screened for the presence of noro-, rota-, astro-, adeno-, hepatitis A- and circoviruses by (RT)-nested PCR, and for F-specific bacteriophages by isolation in Escherichia coli Famp. Plants A and B were secondary treatment plants and plant C used primary treatment. Noroviruses were detected in 43%, 53% and 24% of the inlet samples and 26%, 40% and 21% of the outlet samples from plants A, B and C, respectively. Astroviruses, rotaviruses and adenoviruses were more prevalent. Adenoviruses were detected in 96% of inlet and 94% of outlet samples, supporting the potential of these viruses as indicators of viral contamination from sewage. Hepatitis A virus and circoviruses were found only rarely. Reduction of infective viral particles during sewage treatment was evaluated using F-specific bacteriophages. The phages were reduced by, respectively, 99%, 87% and 0% in plants A, B and C, which corresponded to the observed differences in reduction of norovirus positive samples between the same plants. The study shows that the high viral load in sewage results in a discharge to the environment of a large amount of virus despite sewage treatment. On the other hand, the advantage of a more advanced treatment is demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Oslo. mette.myrmel@veths.no
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Myrmel
authors.forename: E M M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grinde
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rimstad
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014780:Viruses; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral