Projects / Programmes
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WATERCOURSES FOR THE CIRCULATION OF NOROVIRUSES, ROTAVIRUSES AND HEPATITIS A VIRUS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.01.00 |
Medical sciences |
Microbiology and immunology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B230 |
Biomedical sciences |
Microbiology, bacteriology, virology, mycology |
rotavirus, norovirus, hepatitis A virus, food-borne viruses
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
23519 |
PhD Andrej Steyer |
Microbiology and immunology |
Head |
2008 - 2010 |
211 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Food- and water-borne viruses causes many outbreaks of different diseases. Viruses, most often connected with food-borne or water-borne outbreaks are noroviruses (Caliciviridae) and hepatitis A virus. Rarely also rotaviruses, adenoviruses, astroviruses and sapoviruses were found to be responsible for foodborne and waterborne virus infections. All of them are members of enteric viruses group. Especially for rotaviruses zoonotic transmission from many animal species to humans was proved. It was shown previously that enteric viruses are shedding in stools of infected persons or animals in high concentrations. Contamination of environment and water with excreements of infected humans and animals are therefore probably the main source of new infections with enteric viruses, especially in persons being in closer contact with contaminated environment. In this study we want to clear out the circulation of noroviruses, rotaviruses and hepatitis A virus in the environment and determine the importance of watercourses included in this event. For the detection, typing and molecular epidemiology studies of viruses in humans with gastroenteritis and animals with or without diarrhea molecular methods will be used. In the same time, samples of water courses (rivers, streams, municipal water supply) will be collected and viruses will be concentrated using ultrafiltration method. The concentrated water samples will be tested for noroviruses, rotaviruses and hepatitis A virus using molecular methods. Viruses, detected in water samples will be molecular characterised to study the connection between human and animal viruses and watercourses as possible source of infections. This will be the first study with simultaneously detection and characterization of noroviruses, rotaviruses and hepatitis A virus in environmental samples and stool samples of infected persons.
Significance for science
During the project an efficient protocol for the detection of viruses in water samples was developed. Various positively charged filters in different pH values and with two elution buffers were tested. The data obtained in this testing are important contribution to the development of food and environmental virology, specifically in the development of virus detection techniques in contaminated drinking water. The collaboration in the COST action 929 (A European network for Environmental and Food Virology) enabled us to present our data obtained in this study to the European scientists working in the field of food microbiology and we collect also a lot of new knowledge through valuable discussions about developing techniques in environmental virology in this COST action. With this study, we contributed new data for the developing research area in the environmental and food virology. The results of this project show an efficient and low-cost technique in the detection of viruses in water samples. Co-detection and characterization of enteric viruses in environment and in patients with gastroenteritis, bovine and porcine stool samples was performed and it was shown that there is very similar pattern of molecular characteristics of enteric viruses in humans and environment at the same time. Thus, the conclusion is that enteric viruses co-circulate in humans and in water samples.
Significance for the country
The importance of enteric viruses in water was presented to the sanitary professionals which is one of the deliverables of our project – promotion of foodborne viruses. A good collaboration was established between the Institute of Public Health (IPH) of the Republic of Slovenia and all regional IPH-s with preliminary testing of some small but problematic watersources which are a drinking water sources for the public water supply. The results were presented to the sanitary professions emphasizing the importance of enteric viruses in waterborne gastroenteritis outbreaks. With the developed method for the detection of enteric viruses in water samples and good collaboration with the regional IPH-s it will be possible to implement our knowledge to the prevention and explanation of possible waterborne viral gastroenteritis outbreaks. Preventive testing of drinking water for enteric viruses could be one of the actions taken after the water supply network damage or presumptive fecal contamination of the public water supply, preventing waterborne viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in the community. Preventive measures in such cases are important to minimize direct or indirect medical costs.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
