title: In Situ Dynamics of F-Specific RNA Bacteriophages in a Small River: New Way to Assess Viral Propagation in Water Quality Studies.
abstract: The occurrence and propagation of enteric viruses in rivers constitute a major public health issue. However, little information is available on the in situ transport and spread of viruses in surface water. In this study, an original in situ experimental approach using the residence time of the river water mass was developed to accurately follow the propagation of F-specific RNA bacteriophages (FRNAPHs) along a 3-km studied river. Surface water and sediment of 9 sampling campaigns were collected and analyzed using both infectivity and RT-qPCR assays. In parallel, some physico-chemical variables such as flow rate, water temperature, conductivity and total suspended solids were measured to investigate the impact of environmental conditions on phage propagation. For campaigns with low flow rate and high temperature, the results highlight a decrease of infectious phage concentration along the river, which was successfully modelled according to a first-order negative exponential decay. The monitoring of infectious FRNAPHs belonging mainly to the genogroup II was confirmed with direct phage genotyping and total phage particle quantification. Reported k decay coefficients according to exponential models allowed for the determination of the actual in situ distance and time necessary for removing 90 % of infectious phage particles. This present work provides a new way to assess the true in situ viral propagation along a small river. These findings can be highly useful in water quality and risk assessment studies to determine the viral contamination spread from a point contamination source to the nearest recreational areas.
authors: Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, 4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg.|Laboratoire de Chimie, Physique et Microbiologie pour l'Environnement (LCPME), UMR 7564, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Lorraine, 5 rue Albert Lebrun, Nancy, 54000, France.|CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, Nancy, 54000, France.
authors: Blandine
authors: B
authors: Fauvel
authors: Laboratoire de Chimie, Physique et Microbiologie pour l'Environnement (LCPME), UMR 7564, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Lorraine, 5 rue Albert Lebrun, Nancy, 54000, France.|CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, Nancy, 54000, France.
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Gantzer
authors: Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, 4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg.
authors: Henry-Michel
authors: HM
authors: Cauchie
authors: Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, 4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg. leslie.ogorzaly@list.lu.
authors: Leslie
authors: L
authors: Ogorzaly
mesh_terms: D012317:RNA Phages / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology*; D013696:Temperature; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D060753:Water Quality
keywords: F-specific RNA bacteriophages; In situ propagation modelling; In situ survival; Sediment; Water