The impact of anthropogenic pressure on the virological quality of water from the Tiber River, Italy

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to assess the occurrence of major waterborne enteric viruses (enterovirus, norovirus, adenovirus, rotavirus, hepatitis A and E virus) along the Tiber River in Italy, in areas affected by different kinds of anthropogenic pressure agricultural, urban, industrial and pristine). Moreover, in light of the recent abundant detection of human bocavirus in urban wastewater samples in Italy, the occurrence of this virus was also assessed. Virus detection was based on nested PCR followed by sequencing, and on real-time PCR. A correlation with anthropogenic pressure was observed. The urban and industrial areas were the most contaminated (100 and 75% of samples were positive for at least one virus respectively). The agricultural area was less contaminated, with 50% of samples positive. None of the samples collected in a pristine area were positive for viruses. The most frequently detected virus was human bocavirus, identified in 375% of samples, followed by norovirus and enterovirus (28% each) and adenovirus (216%). Rotavirus, and hepatitis A and E viruses were less common (<9%). Although Human Bocavirus is not considered a waterborne pathogen, the widespread contamination of river waters suggests that virus transmission via the water route should not be neglectedJRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource