Epidemiological pack: managing health risks
Always at the forefront of innovative solutions, Phytocontrol offers you the analysis of an epidemiological pack for viruses and an epidemiological pack for bacteria and parasites in wastewater, using a breakthrough technology: digital PCR.
The virus epidemiological pack includes the following viruses: SARS-CoV-2, hepatitis A (HAV), norovirus GI and GII, avian influenza (Influenza A) and seasonal influenza (Influenza B), and the PMMoV virus.
The bacteria epidemiological pack includes the following bacteria and parasites: Naegleria fowleri, Legionella pneumophila, Shiga toxins 1 and 2, Shigella sonnei, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp, thermotolerant Campylobacter.
These two analysis methods are based on the multiplex detection and quantification of several targets in wastewater.
Managing the health risk posed by viruses
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is the agent responsible for the new respiratory infectious disease known as Covid-19. The initial symptoms are non-specific: headaches, muscle pain, fatigue. Fever and respiratory signs appear secondarily. To monitor the circulation of the virus in the global population and detect potential resurgences early, screening tests (antigen tests and RT-PCR) have been implemented.
Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. This virus spreads mainly through ingestion by an uninfected (or unvaccinated) person of water or food contaminated by the faecal matter of an infected individual. As HAV is highly resistant to environmental conditions, it can persist in the outdoor environment and remain infectious for several weeks, particularly in contaminated wastewater and on agricultural produce irrigated by flow or spraying.
Noroviruses (NoV) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in humans of all age groups. Thanks to their physico-chemical properties, they can withstand wastewater treatment processes and thus be present in the environment, persisting there for extended periods. Viral loads released into the environment are much higher in the event of wastewater treatment plant malfunctions or during heavy rainfall episodes (overflow).
Influenza is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses, enveloped RNA viruses of the Orthomyxoviridae family, which mainly affects the ENT (“Ear, Nose and Throat”) sphere and, more rarely, the lungs. There are three types of influenza virus infecting humans: A, B and C.
Unlike influenza B, which is strictly human, influenza A is a zoonosis whose natural reservoir consists of aquatic birds, particularly ducks and geese.
Managing the health risk posed by bacteria and parasites
The target pathogens of this method are, for the most part, foodborne pathogens responsible for gastrointestinal illnesses, which is why they are largely found in wastewater. Two other pathogens included in this pack have a strong affinity for water, which is why they are targeted in this method.
The bacterial species chosen as an extraction control for nucleic acids to validate their extraction using our method is Enterococcus faecalis. This is a ubiquitous commensal organism present in the human gastrointestinal tract.
Shigellosis is caused by bacteria of the Shigella genus. The pathological process induced by Shigella is very rapid. These bacteria contain a virulence plasmid and invade the cells of the intestinal barrier, then the tissue making up the rectocolic mucosa. This process leads to intense inflammation accompanied by severe tissue destruction.
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are pathogens responsible for human infections with varied clinical manifestations. These range from mild watery diarrhoea to haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS).
Listeriosis caused by bacteria of the species Listeria monocytogenes occurs in two forms: invasive and non-invasive. Non-invasive forms are rare and mainly consist of febrile gastroenteritis. Invasive forms have the following main symptoms: septicaemia, bacteraemia, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, rhombencephalitis, brain abscess, local infections; and in pregnant women: flu-like syndrome, spontaneous abortion, neonatal infection, prematurity and in utero death of the child.
Several species belonging to the Campylobacter genus are referred to as thermotolerant Campylobacter, as they are also capable of optimal growth at 41.5°C. The species C. jejuni and C. coli belong to this group and are responsible for the vast majority of cases of foodborne human campylobacteriosis. The most commonly observed human illness is acute enteritis, caused by an intestinal infection following a pattern of pre-adhesion, colonisation, adhesion and invasion of the consumer’s digestive tract.
Salmonellosis caused by bacteria of the Salmonella genus is one of the four main causes of diarrhoeal disease worldwide. Salmonellosis is usually characterised by sudden onset of fever, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and sometimes vomiting.
Legionellosis is a disease of varying severity, ranging from mild febrile illness to sometimes fatal forms of pneumonia caused by bacteria of the Legionella genus. However, more than 90% of legionellosis cases diagnosed by culture are due to the species Legionella pneumophila. The disease is caused by exposure to bacteria found in water and contaminated potting soil. Legionella bacteria are part of the aquatic flora and are found in many warm freshwater sources. They are heat-resistant and can therefore be found at the bottom of hot water tanks. They are intracellular bacteria but can survive outside cells. In aquatic environments, they multiply within amoebae present, and when the amoebae die, they are released into the water and then ingested by a new host, allowing further multiplication cycles.
Naegleria fowleri is a species of amoeba living in fresh water and damp soil. It can develop in water systems (drinking water, cooling water), depending on the temperature and nutrient conditions of the environment. This species is nicknamed the “brain-eating amoeba”. Symptoms include headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, hallucinations, convulsions and finally coma, leading to the patient’s death in 90% of cases.
From a health perspective, since each wastewater treatment plant serves several tens to several hundred thousand households, wastewater monitoring makes it possible to track the circulation of pathogens across the entire territory. Wastewater includes domestic water (grey water and sewage), industrial water, and stormwater.
Phytocontrol supports you in monitoring and managing health risks in water related to viral and bacterial contamination.
