TY - JOUR

T1 - Use of wastewater from passenger ships to assess the movement of COVID-19 and other pathogenic viruses across maritime international boundaries

AU - Jones, Davey L

AU - Bridgman, Mathew

AU - Pellett, Cameron

AU - Weightman, Andrew J

AU - Kille, Peter

AU - García Delgado, Álvaro

AU - Cross, Gareth

AU - Cobley, Steve

AU - Howard-Jones, Helen

AU - Chadwick, David R

AU - Farkas, Kata

N1 - Copyright © 2024 Jones, Bridgman, Pellett, Weightman, Kille, García Delgado, Cross, Cobley, Howard-Jones, Chadwick and Farkas.

PY - 2024/7/15

Y1 - 2024/7/15

N2 - OBJECTIVE: The worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic has been driven by international travel. This has led to the desire to develop surveillance approaches which can estimate the rate of import of pathogenic organisms across international borders. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of wastewater-based approaches for the surveillance of viral pathogens on commercial short-haul (3.5 h transit time) roll-on/roll-off passenger/freight ferries operating between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.METHODS: Samples of toilet-derived wastewater (blackwater) were collected from two commercial ships over a 4-week period and analysed for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, enterovirus, norovirus, the faecal-marker virus crAssphage and a range of physical and chemical indicators of wastewater quality.RESULTS: A small proportion of the wastewater samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (8% of the total), consistent with theoretical predictions of detection frequency (4%-15% of the total) based on the national COVID-19 Infection Survey and defecation behaviour. In addition, norovirus was detected in wastewater at low frequency. No influenza A/B viruses, enterovirus or enterovirus D68 were detected throughout the study period.CONCLUSION: We conclude that testing of wastewater from ships that cross international maritime boundaries may provide a cost-effective and relatively unbiased method to estimate the flow of infected individuals between countries. The approach is also readily applicable for the surveillance of other disease-causing agents.

AB - OBJECTIVE: The worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic has been driven by international travel. This has led to the desire to develop surveillance approaches which can estimate the rate of import of pathogenic organisms across international borders. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of wastewater-based approaches for the surveillance of viral pathogens on commercial short-haul (3.5 h transit time) roll-on/roll-off passenger/freight ferries operating between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.METHODS: Samples of toilet-derived wastewater (blackwater) were collected from two commercial ships over a 4-week period and analysed for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, enterovirus, norovirus, the faecal-marker virus crAssphage and a range of physical and chemical indicators of wastewater quality.RESULTS: A small proportion of the wastewater samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (8% of the total), consistent with theoretical predictions of detection frequency (4%-15% of the total) based on the national COVID-19 Infection Survey and defecation behaviour. In addition, norovirus was detected in wastewater at low frequency. No influenza A/B viruses, enterovirus or enterovirus D68 were detected throughout the study period.CONCLUSION: We conclude that testing of wastewater from ships that cross international maritime boundaries may provide a cost-effective and relatively unbiased method to estimate the flow of infected individuals between countries. The approach is also readily applicable for the surveillance of other disease-causing agents.

KW - Wastewater/virology

KW - Humans

KW - COVID-19/epidemiology

KW - Ships

KW - SARS-CoV-2

KW - United Kingdom/epidemiology

KW - Ireland/epidemiology

KW - Enterovirus/isolation & purification

KW - Travel

U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1377996

DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1377996

M3 - Article

C2 - 39076415

VL - 12

SP - 1377996

JO - Frontiers in Public Health

JF - Frontiers in Public Health

SN - 2296-2565

ER -