Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health Approach
Leptospirosis and hantavirus syndrome are two major rodent-borne diseases in Taiwan. <i>Rocahepevirus ratii</i> (RHEV), a virus closely related to hepatitis E virus (HEV, <i>Paslahepevirus balayani</i>), is emerging and has been reported to cause hepatitis in humans. We emplo...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Kun-Hsien Tsai Tsai-Ying Yen Hsin-Hsin Tung Amy Ho Yang-Ta Chien Chung-Yu Wang Shu-Wei Kang Ning-Ning Juan Fang-Ling Lin |
| author_facet | Kun-Hsien Tsai Tsai-Ying Yen Hsin-Hsin Tung Amy Ho Yang-Ta Chien Chung-Yu Wang Shu-Wei Kang Ning-Ning Juan Fang-Ling Lin |
| author_sort | Kun-Hsien Tsai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Leptospirosis and hantavirus syndrome are two major rodent-borne diseases in Taiwan. <i>Rocahepevirus ratii</i> (RHEV), a virus closely related to hepatitis E virus (HEV, <i>Paslahepevirus balayani</i>), is emerging and has been reported to cause hepatitis in humans. We employed wastewater-based epidemiology to actively monitor rodent-borne pathogens, and the correlations with human cases were evaluated. Wastewater was collected using grab sampling at 11 sites along a sewer system including influents and effluents at a wastewater treatment plant in Tamsui, New Taipei City, Taiwan, monthly during June 2023 to May 2024. The presence of pathogens was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The result showed an overall positivity rate of 38.2% (50/131). <i>Leptospira</i> was detected most often (48/131, 36.6%), and RHEV and hantaviruses were found once each during the study period. Sequencing identified <i>Leptospira interrogans</i> close to isolates from rodents and human cases, while sequences of hantavirus and RHEV were most similar to isolates from rodents. No significant correlation was found with human cases or positive samples for rodent DNA. Here, we present an example of a One Health approach applying wastewater to environmental surveillance for the early detection and prevention of emerging diseases. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a864aa59a4db4d1bac0b1a845c3dc5aa |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2414-6366 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
| spelling | doaj-art-a864aa59a4db4d1bac0b1a845c3dc5aa2025-08-20T01:53:58ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662024-11-0191128210.3390/tropicalmed9110282Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health ApproachKun-Hsien Tsai0Tsai-Ying Yen1Hsin-Hsin Tung2Amy Ho3Yang-Ta Chien4Chung-Yu Wang5Shu-Wei Kang6Ning-Ning Juan7Fang-Ling Lin8Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanGraduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106319, TaiwanInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100025, TaiwanLeptospirosis and hantavirus syndrome are two major rodent-borne diseases in Taiwan. <i>Rocahepevirus ratii</i> (RHEV), a virus closely related to hepatitis E virus (HEV, <i>Paslahepevirus balayani</i>), is emerging and has been reported to cause hepatitis in humans. We employed wastewater-based epidemiology to actively monitor rodent-borne pathogens, and the correlations with human cases were evaluated. Wastewater was collected using grab sampling at 11 sites along a sewer system including influents and effluents at a wastewater treatment plant in Tamsui, New Taipei City, Taiwan, monthly during June 2023 to May 2024. The presence of pathogens was examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The result showed an overall positivity rate of 38.2% (50/131). <i>Leptospira</i> was detected most often (48/131, 36.6%), and RHEV and hantaviruses were found once each during the study period. Sequencing identified <i>Leptospira interrogans</i> close to isolates from rodents and human cases, while sequences of hantavirus and RHEV were most similar to isolates from rodents. No significant correlation was found with human cases or positive samples for rodent DNA. Here, we present an example of a One Health approach applying wastewater to environmental surveillance for the early detection and prevention of emerging diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/9/11/282wastewater-based epidemiology<i>Leptospira interrogans</i>hantavirusesRHEV<i>Rattus norvegicus</i>One Health |
| spellingShingle | Kun-Hsien Tsai Tsai-Ying Yen Hsin-Hsin Tung Amy Ho Yang-Ta Chien Chung-Yu Wang Shu-Wei Kang Ning-Ning Juan Fang-Ling Lin Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health Approach Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease wastewater-based epidemiology <i>Leptospira interrogans</i> hantaviruses RHEV <i>Rattus norvegicus</i> One Health |
| title | Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health Approach |
| title_full | Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health Approach |
| title_fullStr | Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health Approach |
| title_short | Surveillance of Emerging Rodent-Borne Pathogens in Wastewater in Taiwan: A One Health Approach |
| title_sort | surveillance of emerging rodent borne pathogens in wastewater in taiwan a one health approach |
| topic | wastewater-based epidemiology <i>Leptospira interrogans</i> hantaviruses RHEV <i>Rattus norvegicus</i> One Health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/9/11/282 |
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