Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisons
Prisons are high-risk settings for infectious disease transmission, due to their enclosed and semi-enclosed environments. The proximity between prisoners and staff, and the diversity of prisons reduces the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing. Therefore, alter...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IWA Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Water and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/22/1/64 |
| _version_ | 1797316310210707456 |
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| author | Kelly Jobling Marcos Quintela-Baluja Francis Hassard Panagiota Adamou Adrian Blackburn Term Research Team Shannon McIntyre-Nolan Oscar O'Mara Jesus L. Romalde Mariachiara Di Cesare David W. Graham |
| author_facet | Kelly Jobling Marcos Quintela-Baluja Francis Hassard Panagiota Adamou Adrian Blackburn Term Research Team Shannon McIntyre-Nolan Oscar O'Mara Jesus L. Romalde Mariachiara Di Cesare David W. Graham |
| author_sort | Kelly Jobling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Prisons are high-risk settings for infectious disease transmission, due to their enclosed and semi-enclosed environments. The proximity between prisoners and staff, and the diversity of prisons reduces the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing. Therefore, alternative health monitoring methods, such as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), are needed to track pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. This pilot study assessed WBE to quantify SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in prison wastewater to determine its utility within a health protection system for residents. The study analysed 266 samples from six prisons in England over a 12-week period for nucleoprotein 1 (N1 gene) and envelope protein (E gene) using quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Both gene assays successfully detected SARS-CoV-2 fragments in wastewater samples, with both genes significantly correlating with COVID-19 case numbers across the prisons (p < 0.01). However, in 25% of the SARS-positive samples, only one gene target was detected, suggesting that both genes be used to reduce false-negative results. No significant differences were observed between 14- and 2-h composite samples, although 2-h samples showed greater signal variance. Population normalisation did not improve correlations between the N1 and E genes and COVID-19 case data. Overall, WBE shows considerable promise for health protection in prison settings.
HIGHLIGHTS
Wastewater epidemiology is effective in flagging COVID-19 cases in prison settings.;
SARS-CoV-2 levels were quantified using N1 and E gene targets.;
Both targets should be used in routine analysis to reduce false negatives.;
COVID-19 case numbers significantly correlated with both wastewater gene targets across all samples.;
Each prison is different – local activities are important when designing sampling programmes.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:16:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-35fc8eefe2814e098c5d2bef694c547c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1477-8920 1996-7829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:16:25Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Water and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-35fc8eefe2814e098c5d2bef694c547c2024-02-12T15:34:06ZengIWA PublishingJournal of Water and Health1477-89201996-78292024-01-01221647610.2166/wh.2023.093093Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisonsKelly Jobling0Marcos Quintela-Baluja1Francis Hassard2Panagiota Adamou3Adrian Blackburn4Term Research Team5Shannon McIntyre-Nolan6Oscar O'Mara7Jesus L. Romalde8Mariachiara Di Cesare9David W. Graham10 School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Term Research Team, further details in acknowledgements Ministry of Justice, London, UK Ministry of Justice, London, UK CRETUS, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex, Colchester, UK School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Prisons are high-risk settings for infectious disease transmission, due to their enclosed and semi-enclosed environments. The proximity between prisoners and staff, and the diversity of prisons reduces the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing. Therefore, alternative health monitoring methods, such as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), are needed to track pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. This pilot study assessed WBE to quantify SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in prison wastewater to determine its utility within a health protection system for residents. The study analysed 266 samples from six prisons in England over a 12-week period for nucleoprotein 1 (N1 gene) and envelope protein (E gene) using quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Both gene assays successfully detected SARS-CoV-2 fragments in wastewater samples, with both genes significantly correlating with COVID-19 case numbers across the prisons (p < 0.01). However, in 25% of the SARS-positive samples, only one gene target was detected, suggesting that both genes be used to reduce false-negative results. No significant differences were observed between 14- and 2-h composite samples, although 2-h samples showed greater signal variance. Population normalisation did not improve correlations between the N1 and E genes and COVID-19 case data. Overall, WBE shows considerable promise for health protection in prison settings. HIGHLIGHTS Wastewater epidemiology is effective in flagging COVID-19 cases in prison settings.; SARS-CoV-2 levels were quantified using N1 and E gene targets.; Both targets should be used in routine analysis to reduce false negatives.; COVID-19 case numbers significantly correlated with both wastewater gene targets across all samples.; Each prison is different – local activities are important when designing sampling programmes.;http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/22/1/64covid-19health monitoringprisonsrt-qpcrsars-cov-2wastewater-based epidemiology |
| spellingShingle | Kelly Jobling Marcos Quintela-Baluja Francis Hassard Panagiota Adamou Adrian Blackburn Term Research Team Shannon McIntyre-Nolan Oscar O'Mara Jesus L. Romalde Mariachiara Di Cesare David W. Graham Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisons Journal of Water and Health covid-19 health monitoring prisons rt-qpcr sars-cov-2 wastewater-based epidemiology |
| title | Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisons |
| title_full | Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisons |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisons |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisons |
| title_short | Comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for SARS-CoV-2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in UK prisons |
| title_sort | comparison of gene targets and sampling regimes for sars cov 2 quantification for wastewater epidemiology in uk prisons |
| topic | covid-19 health monitoring prisons rt-qpcr sars-cov-2 wastewater-based epidemiology |
| url | http://jwh.iwaponline.com/content/22/1/64 |
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