Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: a comparison of two concentration methods
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance is crucial for the epidemiological monitoring of SARS-CoV-2. Various concentration techniques, such as skimmed milk flocculation (SMF) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, are employed to isolate the virus effectively. This study aims to compare these two methods and determine the one with the superior recovery rates. From February to December 2021, 24-h wastewater samples were collected from the Ioannina Wastewater Treatment Plant’s inlet and processed using both techniques. Subsequent viral genome isolation and a real-time RT-qPCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 were performed. The quantitative analysis demonstrated a higher detection sensitivity with a PEG-based concentration than SMF. Moreover, when the samples were positive by both methods, PEG consistently yielded higher viral loads. These findings underscore the need for further research into concentration methodologies and the development of precise protocols to enhance epidemiological surveillance through wastewater analysis.
Date Issued
2024-09-01
Date Acceptance
2024-08-28
Citation
Viruses, 2024, 16 (9)
ISSN
1999-4915
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Viruses
Volume
16
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39339875
PII: v16091398
Subjects
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
polyethylene glycol
SARS-CoV-2
Science & Technology
skimmed milk flocculation
Virology
VIRUSES
wastewater surveillance
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Switzerland
Article Number
1398
Date Publish Online
2024-08-31