Enteric Viruses and Pepper Mild Mottle Virus Show Significant Correlation in Select Mid-Atlantic Agricultural Waters

Brienna L. Anderson-Coughlin, Shani Craighead, Alyssa Kelly, Samantha Gartley, Adam Vanore, Gordon Johnson, Chengsheng Jiang, Joseph Haymaker, Chanelle White, Derek Foust, Rico Duncan, Cheryl East, Eric T. Handy, Rhodel Bradshaw, Rianna Murray, Prachi Kulkarni, Mary Theresa Callahan, Sultana Solaiman, Walter Betancourt, Charles GerbaSarah Allard, Salina Parveen, Fawzy Hashem, Shirley A. Micallef, Amir Sapkota, Amy R. Sapkota, Manan Sharma, Kalmia E. Kniel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Enteric viruses (EVs) are the largest contributors to foodborne illnesses and outbreaks globally. Their ability to persist in the environment, coupled with the challenges experienced in environmental monitoring, creates a critical aperture through which agricultural crops may become contaminated. This study involved a 17-month investigation of select human EVs and viral indicators in nontraditional irrigation water sources (surface and reclaimed waters) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Real-time quantitative PCR was used for detection of Aichi virus, hepatitis A virus, and norovirus genotypes I and II (GI and GII, respectively). Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), a common viral indicator of human fecal contamination, was also evaluated, along with atmospheric (air and water temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation 24 h, 7 days, and 14 days prior to sample collection) and physicochemical (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, and turbidity) data, to determine whether there were any associations between EVs and measured parameters. EVs were detected more frequently in reclaimed waters (32% [n = 22]) than in surface waters (4% [n = 49]), similar to PMMoV detection frequency in surface (33% [n = 42]) and reclaimed (67% [n = 21]) waters. Our data show a significant correlation between EV and PMMoV (R2 = 0.628, P < 0.05) detection levels in reclaimed water samples but not in surface water samples (R2 = 0.476, P = 0.78). Water salinity significantly affected the detection of both EVs and PMMoV (P< 0.05), as demonstrated by logistic regression analyses. These results provide relevant insights into the extent and degree of association between human (pathogenic) EVs and water quality data in Mid-Atlantic surface and reclaimed waters, as potential sources for agricultural irrigation. IMPORTANCE Microbiological analysis of agricultural waters is fundamental to ensure microbial food safety. The highly variable nature of nontraditional sources of irrigation water makes them particularly difficult to test for the presence of viruses. Multiple characteristics influence viral persistence in a water source, as well as affecting the recovery and detection methods that are employed. Testing for a suite of viruses in water samples is often too costly and labor-intensive, making identification of suitable indicators for viral pathogen contamination necessary. The results from this study address two critical data gaps, namely, EV prevalence in surface and reclaimed waters of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and subsequent evaluation of physicochemical and atmospheric parameters used to inform the potential for the use of indicators of viral contamination.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere00211-21
JournalApplied and environmental microbiology
Volume87
Issue number13
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Aichi virus
  • hepatitis A virus
  • norovirus
  • pepper mild mottle virus
  • reclaimed water
  • surface water

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
  • Food Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Ecology

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