11 research outputs found
Detection and molecular characterization of enteric viruses in environmental samples in Monastir, Tunisia between January 2003 and April 2007.
International audienceAbstract Aims: A prospective study was performed to characterize the main human enteric viruses able to persist in sewage samples and in shellfish tissues, and to establish the correlation between environmental strains and viral infantile diarrhoea observed in the same area during the same period. Methods and Results: A total of 250 sewage (raw and treated) and 60 shellfish samples were collected between January 2003 and April 2007 in Monastir region, Tunisia. Group A rotavirus (RVA) was detected in 80 (32%) sewage samples, norovirus (NoV) in 11 (4.4%) and enteric adenovirus (AdV) in 1 (0.4%). Among 60 shellfish samples collected near sewage effluents, one was contaminated by NoV (1.6%). Conclusion: Our data represent the first documentation in Tunisia, combining gastroenteritis viruses circulating in the environment and in clinical isolates. We observed a correlation between environmental strains and those found in children suffering from gastroenteritis during the same period study. This suggests the existence of a relationship between water contamination and paediatric diarrhoea. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results address the potential health risks associated with transmission of human enteric viruses through water-related environmental routes. The research findings will aid in elucidating the molecular epidemiology and circulation of enteric viruses in Tunisia and in Africa, where data are rare
First molecular detection of Aichi virus in sewage and shellfish samples in the Monastir region of Tunisia.
International audienceThe aims of our investigations were (1) to look for Aichi virus in environmental samples and (2) to compare the Aichi virus strains in both clinical and environmental samples in order to evaluate the role of environmental contamination as a possible vehicle for viral transmission. Aichi virus was detected in 15 (6%) sewage samples and in 4 (6.6%) shellfish samples. Aichi virus was identified for the first time in water samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed several clusters that occurred sequentially in time, suggesting some parallelism in the evolution of environmental and human strains. Aichi virus present in sewage reflects the viruses circulating in the community