Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Northern Italy: An Evaluation of Three Different Gene Targets

Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Northern Italy: An Evaluation of Three Different Gene Targets

Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a complementary tool for the monitoring of COVID-19 pandemic waves and for the circulation of viral variants. The selection, standardization, and dynamics of different SARS-CoV-2 RNA targets in wastewater requires further investigation. In the present stu...

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Main Authors: Giulio Mannarà, Marianna Martinelli, Chiara Giubbi, Michelle Rizza, Eleonora Giordano, Federica Perdoni, Erika Bruno, Annalisa Morella, Arianna Azzellino, Andrea Turolla, Ramon Pedrini, Francesca Malpei, Giuseppina La Rosa, Elisabetta Suffredini, Danilo Cereda, Emanuela Ammoni, Simone Villa, Francesca Pregnolato, Marialuisa Lavitrano, Andrea Franzetti, Rosario Musumeci, Clementina E. Cocuzza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
wastewater surveillance
WBE
SARS-CoV-2
ORF1b
N1
N3
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/2/236
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Summary:Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a complementary tool for the monitoring of COVID-19 pandemic waves and for the circulation of viral variants. The selection, standardization, and dynamics of different SARS-CoV-2 RNA targets in wastewater requires further investigation. In the present study, 106 wastewater samples were collected over a 24-month period from the wastewater treatment plant of Sondrio, north Italy, and were analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA through the quantification of ORF1b, N1, and N3 gene targets via one-step real-time qPCR. In general, the three RNA targets demonstrated different performances and dynamics over the studied time period, underlying the usefulness of multiple viral targets in the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. During the first 12 months, the quantification of the selected SARS-CoV-2 viral targets also correlated with the reported clinical cases in the same geographical area; however, from the overall data analysis this did not appear to significantly anticipate the epidemic waves. In conclusion, this study further supports the use of wastewater surveillance as a real time indicator of the human circulation of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the use of multiple viral gene targets has been shown to improve the reliability of SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in wastewater over time.
ISSN:2076-2607

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