SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in untreated wastewater: detection of viral RNA in a low-resource community in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Néstor Gabriel Iglesias, Leopoldo G. Gebhard, Juan Manuel Carballeda, Ignacio Aiello, Emiliano Recalde, Gabriel Terny, Silvina Ambrosolio, Gabriela L’Arco, Jonatan Konfino, Juan Ignacio Brardinelli
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To measure SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage in a low-resource community in order to determine if it can be considered as an estimator of changes in the prevalence of COVID-19 in the population. METHODS: In this descriptive observational study we collected samples of surface waters contaminated with sewage and optimized a method of purification of viral RNA using PEG concentration. We determined the amount of genetic material by quantitative real-time PCR using the CDC method for SARS-CoV-2 detection. RESULTS: We quantified viral RNA in surface waters contaminated with sewage of a low resource community and determined that temporal trends of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples mirrored trends in COVID-19 active cases. CONCLUSIONS: Measuring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage can be applied in low-resource communities without connection to sewers as an estimator of changes in the prevalence of COVID-19.