Manyanga Daudi, Maseti Elizabeth, Mokoena Kingsley, Buthelezi Thulasizwe, Mthetwa Simangele, Mokoena Sibongile, Khosa-Lesola Ester, Wanyoike Sarah
World Health Organization, Inter-Country Support Team Office for East and Southern Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe.
National Department of Health, Pretoria Townlands, Pretoria, South Africa.
Pan Afr Med J. 2025 Jun 26;51:58. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2025.51.58.45463. eCollection 2025.
South Africa began using environmental surveillance (ES) in July 2019 to supplement acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. A study is evaluating sites in eight metropolitan health districts for performance improvement and expansion of ES within and across neighbouring countries.
we conducted a descriptive analysis of secondary ES to detect poliovirus supplemented with qualitative field visits and focused group discussions at 16 ES sites in the eight metropolitan districts of South Africa. The study covered data from January 2020 to December 2023, and tests were conducted to examine the relationship between practices and laboratory results.
in 2021, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) Laboratory received 567 ES samples for poliovirus detection, with 97.9% arriving within 72 hours of collection. Monthly sampling increased from 102 (18%) in 2020 to 184 (32.5%) in 2021, showing a 14.5% change with a p-value of 0.0085. There was no statistically significant difference in enterovirus isolation rates between sites trained virtually and in person in the long term, with a 16.5% difference and a p-value of 0.0977. Some ES sites showed high enterovirus isolation rates despite not having specific peak hours, suggesting operational variability in densely populated cities and other areas.
the ES assessment in South Africa has made progress in identifying enteroviruses at all sites. However, irregularities in monthly sampling and peak hours for sample collection need attention. The study suggests using a similar training approach in areas with accessibility challenges and updating guidelines with special consideration for major cities.
南非于2019年7月开始使用环境监测（ES）来补充急性弛缓性麻痹监测。一项研究正在评估八个大都市卫生区的监测点，以改进监测效果并在邻国境内及跨境扩大环境监测。
我们对用于检测脊髓灰质炎病毒的二级环境监测进行了描述性分析，并在南非八个大都市的16个环境监测点进行了定性实地考察和焦点小组讨论。该研究涵盖了2020年1月至2023年12月的数据，并进行了测试以检查监测实践与实验室结果之间的关系。
2021年，国家传染病研究所（NICD）实验室收到567份用于脊髓灰质炎病毒检测的环境监测样本，其中97.9%在采集后72小时内送达。每月采样量从2020年的102份（18%）增加到2021年的184份（32.5%），变化率为14.5%，p值为0.0085。从长期来看，虚拟培训和现场培训的监测点之间肠道病毒分离率没有统计学上的显著差异，差异为16.5%，p值为0.0977。一些环境监测点尽管没有特定的高峰时段，但肠道病毒分离率却很高，这表明在人口密集的城市和其他地区存在操作上的差异。
南非的环境监测评估在所有监测点识别肠道病毒方面取得了进展。然而，每月采样的不规律性和样本采集的高峰时段需要关注。该研究建议在交通不便的地区采用类似的培训方法，并在更新指南时特别考虑大城市的情况。
