RNA viromics of Southern California wastewater and detection of SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide variants

In this study, we used metatranscriptomics and RT-ddPCR to assay RNA viruses across Southern California wastewater from August 2020 - January 2021, representing approximately 16 million people from Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. We found that SARS-CoV-2 quantification in wastewater correlates well with county-wide COVID-19 case data, and that we can detect SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide variants through sequencing. Likewise, WTPs harbored different viromes, and we detected other human pathogens such as noroviruses and adenoviruses, furthering our understanding of wastewater viral ecology.PMID:34550753 | DOI:10.1128/AEM.01448-21
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Source Type: research