HEPATITIS E VIRUS DETECTION IN WASTEWATER AND RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES FROM CORDOBA, ARGENTINA

MARTÍNEZ WASSAF, MARIBEL ; BARRIL, PATRICIA; ; ELBARCHA, OSVALDO; NATES, SILVIA ; RÉ VIVIANA

Salto

Simposio; LATIN AMERICA SYMPOSIUM OF ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY; 2013

Regional Norte, Universidad de la Republica

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute hepatitis clinically similar to hepatitis A but is responsible for a high rate of fulminant hepatic failure in pregnant women. HEV is transmitted by the fecal-oral route and is considered a zoonosis detected in both sporadic cases and outbreaks in countries with poor sanitary conditions. The detection of the virus in wastewaters and in watercourses of urbanized cities by molecular biology techniques allows the identification of viral strains circulating in the community and its environmental. The objective of the present study was to detect HEV in sewage samples and water samples obtained from the river that flows through Córdoba city to provide data on the distribution, dissemination, frequency and genetic characterization of circulating strains. Wastewater samples were monthly collected from 2009 to 2011 from the main pipe that enters the treatment plant which receives sewage discharges from about 61% of the population. River samples were seasonally collected during 2010 in eight sampling points of Suquía River. The presence of HEV was determined using RT-Nested PCR amplifying genomic fragments of the ORF-1 and ORF-2 region and viral genotypes were determined by genetic sequencing. HEV was detected in 5.6% of sewage samples (2/36: September 2010 and March 2011) and in 3.1% of river samples (1/32: Spring 2010). Genetic sequencing allowed assigning HEV strains as genotype 3, coincident results were detected in humans and swine in Argentina and neighboring countries such as Brazil. The detection of HEV in wastewater indicates its circulation in the population, being a risk for susceptible individuals. The presence of HEV in local environmental samples, unknown until now, is of great importance and alerts health systems in the diagnosis of acute hepatitis cases of unknown origin. This study demonstrates the advantages of environmental surveillance as a new way to monitor enteric viruses.