Aim of the Study: The shedding of viral particles in wastewater allows for the application of wastewater-based epidemiology as a complementary approach to clinical testing, enabling monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the community. Several studies have successfully measured the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and established a correlation between viral loads and clinically confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the corresponding catchment areas. In Italy, environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 began in October 2021. Here we present the results of a year-long wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, and the development of a COVID-19 transmissibility indicator using wastewater data, called Rwastewater (Rw). Methods and Results: Overall, 9,389 wastewater samples (24h composite) were collected from 167 wastewater treatment plants across 18 regions and 2 autonomous provinces in the period October 2021- September 2022. A real-time RT-qPCR assay targeting the ORF1b region was used for SARS-CoV-2 quantification in wastewater. Quantification data were expressed as genome copies (g.c.)/Litre of sewage. For data normalization, SARS-CoV-2 concentration was multiplied by the daily flow rate of the WTP and then divided by the WTP equivalent inhabitants to account for the catchment area population. The collected samples were used to track the virus’s RNA concentrations during the rise and fall of clinical COVID-19 cases. Three waves were observed in wastewaters in the study period, corresponding to the spread of three different SARS CoV-2 Omicron subvariants (BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5). To measure SARS-CoV-2 effective reproduction number in the population, a COVID-19 transmissibility indicator derived from wastewater data, called Rw, was developed by assuming that changes in the viral concentration in sewage reflect changes in the COVID-19 incidence in the population. The national level analysis of Rw demonstrated a similar temporal pattern as the net reproduction number derived from human surveillance data (Rt) in the same period. When compared to Rt, Rw estimates correctly indicated either an expanding or a contracting epidemic in about 75% of wastewater sampling dates at national level. Results at regional level were more heterogeneous when compared with human surveillance. Conclusion: These findings suggest that estimating SARS-CoV-2 transmission from wastewater surveillance data offers an independent, cost-effective, and fast approach for monitoring the infection’s spread. The information obtained from wastewater surveillance can complement that derived from the surveillance of human cases.
A YEAR-LONG ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEILLANCE OF SARS-CoV-2: ESTIMATING THE EFFECTIVE REPRODUCTION NUMBER OF SARS-CoV-2 INFECTIONS USING WASTEWATER DATA (RWASTEWATER) / La Rosa, G.; Veneri, C.; Poletti, P.; Manica, M.; Bonanno Ferraro, G.; Mancini, P.; Del Giudice, C.; Iaconelli, M.; Lucentini, L.; Cerroni, M.; Brandtner, D.; Rossi, M.; Grigioni, M.; D’Avenio, G.; Del Manso, M.; Riccardo, F.; Bella, A.; Pezzotti, P.; Palamara, A. T.; Agrimi, U.; Martuzzi, M.; Bucciarelli, Giuseppe; Torlontano, Paolo; Aprea, Giuseppe; Scattolini, Silvia; Scattolini, Silvia; D’Angelantonio, Daniela; Migliorati, Giacomo; La Bianca, Michele; Anna Cifarelli, Rosa; Palma, Achille; e Giuseppe Lauria, Giovanna La Vecchia; Brienza, Rosanna; Montenegro, Patrizia; Malacaria, Eduardo; Folino, Giuseppe; Iannone, Michelangelo; Casaburi, Filomena; Bulotta, Giorgia; Barillari, Emanuela; Dragone, Melania; Sacco, Iolanda; Tomaino, Carmine; Felicetta, Cristina; Calabria, Adelaide; Varcasia, Ottavia; Stefanizzi, Francesca; Vizza, Concetta; D’Argenzio, Angelo; Cossentino, Luigi; Olivares, Renato; Pizzolante, Antonio; Fusco, Giovanna; Tosco, Alessandra; Porta, Amalia; Pennino, Francesca; Maria, Triassi; Angelini, Paola; Gentili, Lisa; De Lellis, Laura; Nasci, Daniele; Alborali, Giovanni; Formenti, Nicoletta; Guarneri, Flavia; Fontani, Nadia; Nani, Giulia; Palumbo, Franca; Borlone, Gianluca; Guercio, Marco; Mariuz, Marika; Trani, Gabriella; Pariani, Anna; Ancona, Carla; Barca, Alessandra; Serio, Flavia; Antonella Giorgi, Doriana; Ferrante, Irene; Monfrinotti, Monica; Riosa, Silvia; Capparuccini, Valeria; Teresa Scicluna, Maria; Cersini, Antonella; Arizzi, Mariaconcetta; Cecchini, Giancarlo; Ottaviano, Claudio; Nicosia, Elena; Fontani, Nadia; Nani, Giulia; Palumbo, Franca; Borlone, Gianluca; Guercio, Marco; Grasselli, Elena; Allaria, Giorgia; Dondero, Lorenzo; Rispo, Francesca; Izzotti, Alberto; Maria Bertolotto, Rosa; Nicosia, Elena; Rosatto, Stefano; Bellisomi, Marta; Tomesani, Irene; Tiso, Micaela; Ammoni, Emanuela; Cereda, Danilo; Nadia Losio, Marina; Bertasi, Barbara; Oliva, Desdemona; Giovanna Guiso, Maria; Ferrari, Fabio; Mundo, Maria; Martines, Antonino; Castiglioni, Sara; Schiarea, Silvia; Salmoiraghi, Giulia; Antonelli, Manuela; Azzellino, Arianna; Malpei, Francesca; Turolla, Andrea; Binda, Sandro; Laura, Pellegrinelli; Primache, Valeria; Cocuzza, Clementina; Franzetti, Andrea; Musumeci, Rosario; Martinelli, Marianna; Bertanza, Giorgio; Luisa Callegari, Maria; Bolognini, Luigi; Filippetti, Fabio; Paniccia', Marta; Ciuti, Francesca; Briscolini, Sara; Magi, Silvia; Colitti, Michele; Montanaro, Carmen; Aprea, Giuseppe; Scattolini, Silvia; D’Angelantonio, Daniela; Migliorati, Giacomo; Grazia Cerroni, Maria; Griglio, Bartolomeo; Berruti, Renza; Cravero, Mauro; Costa, Angela; Bianchi, Manila; Decastelli, Lucia; Romano, Angelo; Tramuta, Clara; Carraro, Elisabetta; Pignata, Cristina; Bonetta, Silvia; Richiardi, Lisa; Di Vittorio, Giuseppe; Mongelli, Onofrio; De Giglio, Osvalda; Apollonio, Francesca; Triggiano, Francesco; Teresa Montagna, Maria; Ungaro, Nicola; Palermo, Mario; Massimo Maida, Carmelo; Mazzucco, Walter; De Grazia, Simona; Giammanco, Giovanni; Purpari, Giuseppa; Ferrante, Margherita; Agodi, Antonella; Barchitta, Martina; Cala', Piergiuseppe; Carducci, Annalaura; Verani, Marco; Federigi, Ileana; Lauretani, Giulia; Muzio, Sara; Ramazzotti, Matteo; Antonelli, Alberto; Santoro, Giovanni; Federici, Ermanno; Petricciuolo, Maya; Barigelli, Sofia; Ruffier, Mauro; Borney, Francesca; Grange, Eric; Damasco, Florida; Russo, Francesca; Pitter, Gisella; Groppi, Vanessa; Rigoli, Franco; Zampini, Marco; Baldovin, Tatjana; Amoruso, Irene; Zago, Lorella; Stenico, Alberta; Demetz, Lea; Pizzo, Francesco; Schiavuzzi, Alessandra; Mengon, Elena; Cadonna, Maria; Postinghel, Mattia; Cutrupi, Francesca; Foladori, Paola; Manara, Serena; Merler, S.; Suffredini, E.. - (2023), pp. 240-240. (Intervento presentato al convegno 7th National Congress of the Italian Society for Virology - One virology one health tenutosi a Brescia nel 25-27 giugno 2024).
A YEAR-LONG ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEILLANCE OF SARS-CoV-2: ESTIMATING THE EFFECTIVE REPRODUCTION NUMBER OF SARS-CoV-2 INFECTIONS USING WASTEWATER DATA (RWASTEWATER)
Francesca Cutrupi;Paola Foladori;Serena Manara;
2023-01-01
Abstract
Aim of the Study: The shedding of viral particles in wastewater allows for the application of wastewater-based epidemiology as a complementary approach to clinical testing, enabling monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the community. Several studies have successfully measured the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and established a correlation between viral loads and clinically confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the corresponding catchment areas. In Italy, environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 began in October 2021. Here we present the results of a year-long wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, and the development of a COVID-19 transmissibility indicator using wastewater data, called Rwastewater (Rw). Methods and Results: Overall, 9,389 wastewater samples (24h composite) were collected from 167 wastewater treatment plants across 18 regions and 2 autonomous provinces in the period October 2021- September 2022. A real-time RT-qPCR assay targeting the ORF1b region was used for SARS-CoV-2 quantification in wastewater. Quantification data were expressed as genome copies (g.c.)/Litre of sewage. For data normalization, SARS-CoV-2 concentration was multiplied by the daily flow rate of the WTP and then divided by the WTP equivalent inhabitants to account for the catchment area population. The collected samples were used to track the virus’s RNA concentrations during the rise and fall of clinical COVID-19 cases. Three waves were observed in wastewaters in the study period, corresponding to the spread of three different SARS CoV-2 Omicron subvariants (BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5). To measure SARS-CoV-2 effective reproduction number in the population, a COVID-19 transmissibility indicator derived from wastewater data, called Rw, was developed by assuming that changes in the viral concentration in sewage reflect changes in the COVID-19 incidence in the population. The national level analysis of Rw demonstrated a similar temporal pattern as the net reproduction number derived from human surveillance data (Rt) in the same period. When compared to Rt, Rw estimates correctly indicated either an expanding or a contracting epidemic in about 75% of wastewater sampling dates at national level. Results at regional level were more heterogeneous when compared with human surveillance. Conclusion: These findings suggest that estimating SARS-CoV-2 transmission from wastewater surveillance data offers an independent, cost-effective, and fast approach for monitoring the infection’s spread. The information obtained from wastewater surveillance can complement that derived from the surveillance of human cases.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione
