ENTERIC VIRUS GROUPS TO ASSESS VIROLOGICAL RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY

MASACHESSI G; PAVAN JV; PREZ VE; MARTINEZ LC; BARRIL PA; GIORDANO MO; FERREIRA L; ISA MB; RÉ V; NATES SV

Salta

Simposio; III Simposio Latinoamericano de Virología Ambiental; 2016

The measurement of microbiological water quality by faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) does not guarantee the absence of virus. The objective of the present work was to reach viral groups to assess virological recreational water quality. Forty-eight surface water samples were collected during 2012, from the San Roque Dam and its two tributary rivers mouths (Córdoba Province, Argentina). The samples were analyzed for the traditional measurement of FIB and by RT-PCR for rotavirus A (RVA), astrovirus (HAstV), norovirus (NoV), picobirnavirus (PBV), PCR for JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) and IFI for infective human enterovirus (iEV). The viral frequency detection was iEV 62.5%; RVA 52.1%; HAstV 50%; NoV 62.5%; PBV 81.25% and JCPyV 54.2%. The joint detection of iEV and PBV genomes could be used to provide evidence of human and animal faecal contamination in water surface all through the year as well as the potential presence of the main viruses responsible for human acute gastroenteritis. The presence of viral genome and viable and infectious virus in areas where faecal contamination was not demonstrated by FIB suggests prolonged virus persistence in aquatic environments and emphasizes the enteric virus groups as the most reliable indicators for microbial water quality monitoring. These results are available in http://elpizarrondelagua.blogspot.com.ar/ for general disclosure.