A longitudinal study on the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 genome in wastewaters from typical urban and peri - urban communities in the Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Ngqwala, Balisa
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease) , SARS-CoV-2 disease , SARS coronavirus 2 disease
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29888 , vital:79184
- Description: The global health system and economy has been convulsed by the origin of Severe Acute respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 infections which causes Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infections has become a recent global health concern, with drastic increase of illnesses and mortality cases. COVID- 19 originated in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in the People’s Republic of China, nonetheless, the diseases had spread to over 229 countries to date. COVID-19 clinical spectrum varies from mild fulminant pneumonia with acute respiratory distress to asymptomatic or mild respiratory infection or multi-organ failure resulting in death. Over 691 million cases with approximately 6.9 million fatalities have been recorded due to COVID-19 globally. The main route of transmission of this disease is reported to be respiratory droplets from an infected individual. However, previous studies demonstrate the presence of the virus in faces and urine as SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments have been detected in wastewater and river waters around the world. The focal aim of this study was to profile and compare the incidence of SARS-COV-2 genomes in wastewater samples obtained from wastewater treatment facilities located in typical urban and peri-urban communities within the Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Raw wastewater (influent) samples were collected by the grab sampling technique on a weekly basis for a period of 12 months sampling regime. Ribonucleic Acids were extracted from the collected wastewater WW samples, using the commercial QIAGEN Powersoil Total RNA Extraction kit, following the manufacturer’s guideline. The extracted RNA samples were further profiled for the presence and quantity of SARS-COV-2 genomes from the collected wastewate samples by Quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction qRT-PCR technique. The findings of this study revealed the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 genomes from the raw wastewater samples across the urban and peri-urban study sites with the concentrations that ranged from 0.22 × 103 to 17.60 × 103 genome copies per millilitre GC/mL. Furthermore, various environmental matrices were utilized in the present study to estimate the potential health risk to plant operators associated with the exposure toSARS-CoV-2 viral particles using the quantitative microbiological risk assessment QMRA model. Different exposure scenarios were employed for the QMRA model and the findings indicate a probability of infection ranging from 0.93 percent to 37.81 percent across the study sites. Overall, the findings obtained in the current study highlight the bothersome concerns that reveal sewage systems as a transmission pathway for the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the environment. Therefore, this study accentuates the need for continued surveillance and constant environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 other microbial pathogens through the wastewater based epidemiological model to timeously detect and recognize possible infections at a community level. , Thesis (MSci) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024
- Authors: Ngqwala, Balisa
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease) , SARS-CoV-2 disease , SARS coronavirus 2 disease
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29888 , vital:79184
- Description: The global health system and economy has been convulsed by the origin of Severe Acute respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 infections which causes Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infections has become a recent global health concern, with drastic increase of illnesses and mortality cases. COVID- 19 originated in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in the People’s Republic of China, nonetheless, the diseases had spread to over 229 countries to date. COVID-19 clinical spectrum varies from mild fulminant pneumonia with acute respiratory distress to asymptomatic or mild respiratory infection or multi-organ failure resulting in death. Over 691 million cases with approximately 6.9 million fatalities have been recorded due to COVID-19 globally. The main route of transmission of this disease is reported to be respiratory droplets from an infected individual. However, previous studies demonstrate the presence of the virus in faces and urine as SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments have been detected in wastewater and river waters around the world. The focal aim of this study was to profile and compare the incidence of SARS-COV-2 genomes in wastewater samples obtained from wastewater treatment facilities located in typical urban and peri-urban communities within the Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Raw wastewater (influent) samples were collected by the grab sampling technique on a weekly basis for a period of 12 months sampling regime. Ribonucleic Acids were extracted from the collected wastewater WW samples, using the commercial QIAGEN Powersoil Total RNA Extraction kit, following the manufacturer’s guideline. The extracted RNA samples were further profiled for the presence and quantity of SARS-COV-2 genomes from the collected wastewate samples by Quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction qRT-PCR technique. The findings of this study revealed the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 genomes from the raw wastewater samples across the urban and peri-urban study sites with the concentrations that ranged from 0.22 × 103 to 17.60 × 103 genome copies per millilitre GC/mL. Furthermore, various environmental matrices were utilized in the present study to estimate the potential health risk to plant operators associated with the exposure toSARS-CoV-2 viral particles using the quantitative microbiological risk assessment QMRA model. Different exposure scenarios were employed for the QMRA model and the findings indicate a probability of infection ranging from 0.93 percent to 37.81 percent across the study sites. Overall, the findings obtained in the current study highlight the bothersome concerns that reveal sewage systems as a transmission pathway for the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the environment. Therefore, this study accentuates the need for continued surveillance and constant environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 other microbial pathogens through the wastewater based epidemiological model to timeously detect and recognize possible infections at a community level. , Thesis (MSci) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024
Quantitative microbial risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples collected from selected wastewater treatment plants in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Ntlati, Piwe Athi
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: SARS coronavirus 2 disease , SARS-CoV-2 disease , COVID-19 (Disease)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29900 , vital:79185
- Description: The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 infection which is the causative agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 took the world off-guard. The unprecedented pandemic which thought to have originated in Wuhan, China and spread to over 230 countries to date caused more than 690 million positive cases and more than 6.9 million deaths worldwide. Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 vary from mild to severe symptoms which includes coughing, pneumonia, respiratory difficulties, and can lead to death. The inhalation of aerosols or respiratory droplets from a COVID-19 infected person are the major transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater influent samples and estimated the potential health risks of wastewater treatment plants WWTPs workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. WWTPs influent samples were collected by grab sampling from six WWTPs for a period of 12 months. Viral RNA was extracted using QIAGEN RNeasy PowerSoil Total RNA extraction Kit, following the manufacturer’s guidelines and NanodropTM spectrophotometer was used to measure the respective concentrations and ascertain the purity of the total viral RNA. The extracted viral RNA was profiled for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genome by Quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction qRT-PCR technique. Our results showed the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in influent samples collected from both the urban and peri-urban communities located WWTPs with viral loads ranging from 2.34 × 101 genome copies/ml to 1.08 × 105 genome copies/ml in 220 89.4 percent of the 246 wastewater-influent samples. In addition, quantitative microbial risk assessment QMRA model was applied to assess the probability of infection to WWTP operators. Three different exposure scenarios were employed for the model and results indicated that the probability of infection was significantly different P<0.05 with respect to the different volumetric scenarios 2mL, 10mL, and 20mL and with respect to the four seasons across the plants. In conclusion, this study highlights the public health concern that WWTPs pose as channels for the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 into the environment and suggests the need for regular wastewater surveillance and frequent microbial water quality monitoring through relevant wastewater-based epidemiology models for the prompt detection of potential SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens and assist in predicting future outbreaks in the communities. , Thesis (MSci) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Ntlati, Piwe Athi
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: SARS coronavirus 2 disease , SARS-CoV-2 disease , COVID-19 (Disease)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29900 , vital:79185
- Description: The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 infection which is the causative agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 took the world off-guard. The unprecedented pandemic which thought to have originated in Wuhan, China and spread to over 230 countries to date caused more than 690 million positive cases and more than 6.9 million deaths worldwide. Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 vary from mild to severe symptoms which includes coughing, pneumonia, respiratory difficulties, and can lead to death. The inhalation of aerosols or respiratory droplets from a COVID-19 infected person are the major transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater influent samples and estimated the potential health risks of wastewater treatment plants WWTPs workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. WWTPs influent samples were collected by grab sampling from six WWTPs for a period of 12 months. Viral RNA was extracted using QIAGEN RNeasy PowerSoil Total RNA extraction Kit, following the manufacturer’s guidelines and NanodropTM spectrophotometer was used to measure the respective concentrations and ascertain the purity of the total viral RNA. The extracted viral RNA was profiled for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genome by Quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction qRT-PCR technique. Our results showed the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in influent samples collected from both the urban and peri-urban communities located WWTPs with viral loads ranging from 2.34 × 101 genome copies/ml to 1.08 × 105 genome copies/ml in 220 89.4 percent of the 246 wastewater-influent samples. In addition, quantitative microbial risk assessment QMRA model was applied to assess the probability of infection to WWTP operators. Three different exposure scenarios were employed for the model and results indicated that the probability of infection was significantly different P<0.05 with respect to the different volumetric scenarios 2mL, 10mL, and 20mL and with respect to the four seasons across the plants. In conclusion, this study highlights the public health concern that WWTPs pose as channels for the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 into the environment and suggests the need for regular wastewater surveillance and frequent microbial water quality monitoring through relevant wastewater-based epidemiology models for the prompt detection of potential SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens and assist in predicting future outbreaks in the communities. , Thesis (MSci) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
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