Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-Generation
Human noroviruses (HNoVs) are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, with significant public health implications. In this study, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) was used to monitor the circulation and genetic diversity of HNoVs in Rome over an eight-year period (2017–2024). A total...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Giusy Bonanno Ferraro David Brandtner Pamela Mancini Carolina Veneri Marcello Iaconelli Elisabetta Suffredini Giuseppina La Rosa |
| author_facet | Giusy Bonanno Ferraro David Brandtner Pamela Mancini Carolina Veneri Marcello Iaconelli Elisabetta Suffredini Giuseppina La Rosa |
| author_sort | Giusy Bonanno Ferraro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human noroviruses (HNoVs) are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, with significant public health implications. In this study, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) was used to monitor the circulation and genetic diversity of HNoVs in Rome over an eight-year period (2017–2024). A total of 337 wastewater samples were analyzed using RT-nested PCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify genogroups GI and GII and their respective genotypes. The results showed that GII had higher detection rates (66.5%) compared to GI (50.7%), with significant variation between years. Detection rates peaked in 2019 before declining sharply in 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and rebounding after the pandemic in 2023. A total of 24 genotypes were identified (8 GI and 17 GII), including persistent variants GII.2, GII.3 and GII.4 and emerging genotypes such as GII.8, GII.10 and GII.14. Only two GII.4 variants, Sydney_2016 and Sydney_2012, were detected in the study. These results demonstrate the utility of WBE in tracking HNoVs circulation, identifying genotype diversity and capturing shifts in transmission dynamics. WBE provides a cost-effective and comprehensive tool for public health surveillance, particularly in regions with limited clinical surveillance. Sustained investment in WBE is crucial for advancing our understanding of HNoVs epidemiology and its long-term trends. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7134dfee640746779e92a0113c34dc25 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj-art-7134dfee640746779e92a0113c34dc252025-01-24T13:52:41ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152025-01-0117113010.3390/v17010130Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-GenerationGiusy Bonanno Ferraro0David Brandtner1Pamela Mancini2Carolina Veneri3Marcello Iaconelli4Elisabetta Suffredini5Giuseppina La Rosa6National Center for Water Safety (CeNSia), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Infectious Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyNational Center for Water Safety (CeNSia), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyNational Center for Water Safety (CeNSia), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyNational Center for Water Safety (CeNSia), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyNational Center for Water Safety (CeNSia), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyHuman noroviruses (HNoVs) are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, with significant public health implications. In this study, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) was used to monitor the circulation and genetic diversity of HNoVs in Rome over an eight-year period (2017–2024). A total of 337 wastewater samples were analyzed using RT-nested PCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify genogroups GI and GII and their respective genotypes. The results showed that GII had higher detection rates (66.5%) compared to GI (50.7%), with significant variation between years. Detection rates peaked in 2019 before declining sharply in 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and rebounding after the pandemic in 2023. A total of 24 genotypes were identified (8 GI and 17 GII), including persistent variants GII.2, GII.3 and GII.4 and emerging genotypes such as GII.8, GII.10 and GII.14. Only two GII.4 variants, Sydney_2016 and Sydney_2012, were detected in the study. These results demonstrate the utility of WBE in tracking HNoVs circulation, identifying genotype diversity and capturing shifts in transmission dynamics. WBE provides a cost-effective and comprehensive tool for public health surveillance, particularly in regions with limited clinical surveillance. Sustained investment in WBE is crucial for advancing our understanding of HNoVs epidemiology and its long-term trends.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/1/130noroviruswastewatergenotypeNGS |
| spellingShingle | Giusy Bonanno Ferraro David Brandtner Pamela Mancini Carolina Veneri Marcello Iaconelli Elisabetta Suffredini Giuseppina La Rosa Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-Generation Viruses norovirus wastewater genotype NGS |
| title | Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-Generation |
| title_full | Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-Generation |
| title_fullStr | Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-Generation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-Generation |
| title_short | Eight Years of Norovirus Surveillance in Urban Wastewater: Insights from Next-Generation |
| title_sort | eight years of norovirus surveillance in urban wastewater insights from next generation |
| topic | norovirus wastewater genotype NGS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/1/130 |
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