The findings of this study have been published in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia, a leading clinical journal. This study not only sheds light on the potential risks these viruses pose but also highlights the emerging field of wastewater epidemiology as a powerful tool for early detection and surveillance of infectious diseases.
The study was led by Dr Rajpal Singh Kashyap and Dr Tanya Monaghan. Singh stressed on the importance of wastewater surveillance in identifying and addressing viral threats promptly, contributing to future pandemic preparedness.
“The team detected SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the Covid pandemic, in an astonishing 59% of the sampled locations. The abundance of the virus, however, showed intriguing variations across different sampling sites, prompting further investigation into the factors influencing its distribution,” said Singh.
Another key finding of the study was the frequent detection of the hepatitis C virus. Remarkably, it was often found to co-occur with SARS-CoV-2, hinting at potential connections and interactions between the viruses.
Surprisingly, both viruses were more abundantly detected in rural areas than in urban zones, challenging conventional assumptions about virus prevalence in different settings.
The research also brought to light the presence of segmented virus genomic fragments from influenza A virus, norovirus, and rotavirus, demonstrating the complexity and diversity of viruses present in wastewater.
Geographical differences were observed for astrovirus, saffold virus, husavirus, and aichi virus, which were found to be more prevalent in urban samples. On the other hand, zoonotic viruses such as chikungunya and rabies were more abundant in rural environments.
“The implications of this study are far-reaching,” said Kashyap. “By analyzing wastewater samples, scientists can gain valuable insights into the health status of the population over time and guide healthcare interventions to combat infectious diseases effectively,” he said.
