Issue 3, 2022

Epidemiological significance of the occurrence and persistence of rotaviruses in water and sewage: a critical review and proposal for routine microbiological monitoring

Abstract

Globally, waterborne gastroenteritis attributable to rotaviruses is on the increase due to the rapid increase in population growth, poor socioeconomic conditions, and drastic changes in climatic conditions. The burden of diarrhea is quite alarming in developing nations where the majority of the populations still rely on untreated surface water that is usually polluted for their immediate water needs. Humans and animals of all ages are affected by rotaviruses. In humans, the preponderance of cases occurs in children under 5 years. Global efforts in advancing water/wastewater treatment technologies have not yet realized the objective of complete viral removal from wastewater. Most times, surface waters are impacted heavily by inadequately treated wastewater run-offs thereby exposing people or animals to preventable health risks. The relative stability of rotaviruses in aquatic matrices during wastewater treatment, poor correlation of bacteriological indicators with the presence of rotaviruses, and their infectiousness at a low dose informed the proposal for inclusion in the routine microbiological water screening panel. Environmental monitoring data have been shown to provide early warnings that can complement clinical data used to monitor the impact of current rotavirus vaccination in a community. This review was therefore undertaken to critically appraise rotavirus excretion and emission pathways, and the existence, viability and persistence in the receiving aquatic milieu. The efficiency of the current wastewater treatment modality for rotavirus removal, correlation of the current bacteriological water quality assessment strategy, public health risks and current laboratory methods for an epidemiological study were also discussed.

Graphical abstract: Epidemiological significance of the occurrence and persistence of rotaviruses in water and sewage: a critical review and proposal for routine microbiological monitoring

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
14 oct. 2021
Accepted
26 janv. 2022
First published
17 févr. 2022

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022,24, 380-399

Epidemiological significance of the occurrence and persistence of rotaviruses in water and sewage: a critical review and proposal for routine microbiological monitoring

C. A. Omatola and A. O. Olaniran, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2022, 24, 380 DOI: 10.1039/D1EM00435B

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