title: High diversity of human polyomaviruses in environmental and clinical samples in Argentina: Detection of JC, BK, Merkel-cell, Malawi, and human 6 and 7 polyomaviruses.
abstract: New human polyomaviruses have been recently described. The aim of this work was to detect and characterize human polyomaviruses circulating in Argentina by recovering viruses from environmental and sewage samples and evaluating their potential role as viral indicators of human waste contamination. Analysis was performed in a wider context including viruses from clinical samples from an immunocompromised population. River water and sewage samples were analyzed as a strategy to study the molecular epidemiology of viruses excreted by millions of people. Samples belonged to the Matanza-Riachuelo River (2005-2006: n=25 and 2012: n=20) and sewage from Buenos Aires city and suburbs (2011 and 2013: n=24). Viral detection was performed by PCR and the amplified viral genomes were characterized by phylogenetic analysis. Polyomaviruses were detected in 95.8% of sewage samples, identifying BKPyV (87.5%), JCPyV (83.3%), MCPyV (8.3%) and HPyV6 (8.3%). Besides, one sample collected in 2009 resulted positive for HPyV7. In 2005-2006, polyomaviruses were detected in 84.0% of river water samples, with the highest detection for MCPyV (52.0%), followed by BKPyV (44.0%), JCPyV (20.0%) and MWPyV (4.0%). In 2012, polyomaviruses were detected in 85.0% of river samples, finding JCPyV (85.0%), BKPyV (75.0%), MCPyV (25.0%) and HPyV6 (25.0%). Also, polyomaviruses, including JCPyV, BKPyV and MCPyV, were detected in 63.2% of urine samples from patients infected with HIV (n=19). Characterization indicated the coexistence of different genotypes and variants for each virus, particularly in sewage. MCPyV sequences (the only sequences from Argentina) formed a monophyletic group with the single sequence available for South America (French Guiana). The high level of detection and viral diversity found by environmental surveillance, which involved the characterization of viruses not previously described in South America, reinforces the usefulness of this approach to monitor viral contamination and describe the viral epidemiology in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 954, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1113AAD), Argentina; CONICET, Av. Rivadavia 1917, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1033AAJ), Argentina. Electronic address: ctorres@ffyb.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 954, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1113AAD), Argentina.
authors.forename: Melina Elizabeth
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 954, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1113AAD), Argentina; CONICET, Av. Rivadavia 1917, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1033AAJ), Argentina.
authors.forename: Robertina Viviana
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Cammarata
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurovirosis, INEI-ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Av. Vélez Sarsfield 563, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1282AFF), Argentina.
authors.forename: Daniel Marcelo
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cisterna
authors.affiliation: División Infectología, Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández", Cerviño 3356, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1425AGP), Argentina.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: División Infectología, Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández", Cerviño 3356, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1425AGP), Argentina.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martini Novas
authors.affiliation: División Infectología, Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández", Cerviño 3356, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1425AGP), Argentina.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cahn
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 954, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1113AAD), Argentina; CONICET, Av. Rivadavia 1917, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1033AAJ), Argentina.
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Blanco Fernández
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 954, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1113AAD), Argentina; CONICET, Av. Rivadavia 1917, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1033AAJ), Argentina.
authors.forename: Viviana Andrea
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mbayed
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D045483:Rivers / Q000821:virology; D012722:Sewage / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage
keywords: Argentina; Environmental surveillance; Polyomavirus; Viral contamination