National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel
In this report, we describe a national-scale monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 (SC-2) variant dynamics in Israel, using multiple-time sampling of 13 wastewater treatment plants. We used a combination of inclusive and selective quantitative PCR assays that specifically identify variants A19/A20 or B.1.1.7...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/6/1229 |
| _version_ | 1797481424055435264 |
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| author | Itay Bar-Or Victoria Indenbaum Merav Weil Michal Elul Nofar Levi Irina Aguvaev Zvi Cohen Virginia Levy Roberto Azar Batya Mannasse Rachel Shirazi Efrat Bucris Orna Mor Alin Sela Brown Danit Sofer Neta S. Zuckerman Ella Mendelson Oran Erster |
| author_facet | Itay Bar-Or Victoria Indenbaum Merav Weil Michal Elul Nofar Levi Irina Aguvaev Zvi Cohen Virginia Levy Roberto Azar Batya Mannasse Rachel Shirazi Efrat Bucris Orna Mor Alin Sela Brown Danit Sofer Neta S. Zuckerman Ella Mendelson Oran Erster |
| author_sort | Itay Bar-Or |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this report, we describe a national-scale monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 (SC-2) variant dynamics in Israel, using multiple-time sampling of 13 wastewater treatment plants. We used a combination of inclusive and selective quantitative PCR assays that specifically identify variants A19/A20 or B.1.1.7 and tested each sample for the presence and relative viral RNA load of each variant. We show that between December 2020 and March 2021, a complete shift in the SC-2 variant circulation was observed, where the B.1.1.7 replaced the A19 in all examined test points. We further show that the normalized viral load (NVL) values and the average new cases per week reached a peak in January 2021 and then decreased gradually in almost all test points, in parallel with the progression of the national vaccination campaign, during February–March 2021. This study demonstrates the importance of monitoring SC-2 variant by using a combination of inclusive and selective PCR tests on a national scale through wastewater sampling, which is far more amendable for high-throughput monitoring compared with sequencing. This approach may be useful for real-time dynamics surveillance of current and future variants, such as the Omicron (BA.1, BA.2) and other variants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:14:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b3b0b5714284ef8aa4c5a1df7a46ace |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:14:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b3b0b5714284ef8aa4c5a1df7a46ace2023-11-23T19:25:50ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-06-01146122910.3390/v14061229National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in IsraelItay Bar-Or0Victoria Indenbaum1Merav Weil2Michal Elul3Nofar Levi4Irina Aguvaev5Zvi Cohen6Virginia Levy7Roberto Azar8Batya Mannasse9Rachel Shirazi10Efrat Bucris11Orna Mor12Alin Sela Brown13Danit Sofer14Neta S. Zuckerman15Ella Mendelson16Oran Erster17Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelCentral Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, IsraelIn this report, we describe a national-scale monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 (SC-2) variant dynamics in Israel, using multiple-time sampling of 13 wastewater treatment plants. We used a combination of inclusive and selective quantitative PCR assays that specifically identify variants A19/A20 or B.1.1.7 and tested each sample for the presence and relative viral RNA load of each variant. We show that between December 2020 and March 2021, a complete shift in the SC-2 variant circulation was observed, where the B.1.1.7 replaced the A19 in all examined test points. We further show that the normalized viral load (NVL) values and the average new cases per week reached a peak in January 2021 and then decreased gradually in almost all test points, in parallel with the progression of the national vaccination campaign, during February–March 2021. This study demonstrates the importance of monitoring SC-2 variant by using a combination of inclusive and selective PCR tests on a national scale through wastewater sampling, which is far more amendable for high-throughput monitoring compared with sequencing. This approach may be useful for real-time dynamics surveillance of current and future variants, such as the Omicron (BA.1, BA.2) and other variants.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/6/1229SARS-CoV-2variant B.1.1.7 (Alpha)RT-qPCRwastewater surveillancedifferential PCR |
| spellingShingle | Itay Bar-Or Victoria Indenbaum Merav Weil Michal Elul Nofar Levi Irina Aguvaev Zvi Cohen Virginia Levy Roberto Azar Batya Mannasse Rachel Shirazi Efrat Bucris Orna Mor Alin Sela Brown Danit Sofer Neta S. Zuckerman Ella Mendelson Oran Erster National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel Viruses SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 (Alpha) RT-qPCR wastewater surveillance differential PCR |
| title | National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel |
| title_full | National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel |
| title_fullStr | National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel |
| title_full_unstemmed | National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel |
| title_short | National Scale Real-Time Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Dynamics by Wastewater Monitoring in Israel |
| title_sort | national scale real time surveillance of sars cov 2 variants dynamics by wastewater monitoring in israel |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 (Alpha) RT-qPCR wastewater surveillance differential PCR |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/6/1229 |
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