Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45100 Ioannina, Greece.
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
Viruses. 2024 Aug 31;16(9):1398. doi: 10.3390/v16091398.
Wastewater surveillance is crucial for the epidemiological monitoring of SARS-CoV-2. Various concentration techniques, such as skimmed milk flocculation (SMF) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, are employed to isolate the virus effectively. This study aims to compare these two methods and determine the one with the superior recovery rates. From February to December 2021, 24-h wastewater samples were collected from the Ioannina Wastewater Treatment Plant's inlet and processed using both techniques. Subsequent viral genome isolation and a real-time RT-qPCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 were performed. The quantitative analysis demonstrated a higher detection sensitivity with a PEG-based concentration than SMF. Moreover, when the samples were positive by both methods, PEG consistently yielded higher viral loads. These findings underscore the need for further research into concentration methodologies and the development of precise protocols to enhance epidemiological surveillance through wastewater analysis.
污水监测对于 SARS-CoV-2 的流行病学监测至关重要。各种浓缩技术，如脱脂奶絮凝（SMF）和聚乙二醇（PEG）沉淀，被用于有效地分离病毒。本研究旨在比较这两种方法，并确定回收率更高的方法。2021 年 2 月至 12 月，从约阿尼纳污水处理厂的入口处采集了 24 小时污水样本，并使用这两种技术进行了处理。随后进行了病毒基因组分离和实时 RT-qPCR 检测 SARS-CoV-2。定量分析表明，PEG 法的检测灵敏度高于 SMF 法。此外，当两种方法的样本均呈阳性时，PEG 法始终能检测到更高的病毒载量。这些发现强调了需要进一步研究浓缩方法，并制定精确的方案，通过污水分析加强流行病学监测。
