Nagpur: Researchers from the Central India Institute of Medical Sciences (CIIMS) have conducted a groundbreaking study on wastewater, uncovering the presence of previously undetected viruses that can cause zoonotic diseases like chikungunya and rabies in various parts of Nagpur.
The study’s findings have been published in The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia, a prominent clinical journal, highlighting the emerging field of wastewater epidemiology as a powerful tool for early detection and surveillance of infectious diseases.
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Wednesday01 Jan. 2025
Led by Dr. Rajpal Singh Kashyap and Dr. Tanya Monaghan, the study emphasizes the importance of wastewater surveillance in promptly identifying and addressing viral threats, thereby contributing to future pandemic preparedness efforts.
The researchers discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, was detected in an astonishing 59% of the sampled locations. However, the abundance of the virus exhibited intriguing variations across different sampling sites, raising further questions about the factors influencing its distribution.
Another significant finding of the study was the frequent detection of the hepatitis C virus, often co-occurring with SARS-CoV-2. This discovery suggests potential connections and interactions between these viruses, warranting further investigation.
Contrary to conventional assumptions about virus prevalence in different settings, both SARS-CoV-2 and hepatitis C viruses were more abundantly detected in rural areas compared to urban zones. This unexpected observation challenges preconceived notions and highlights the need for comprehensive surveillance across diverse environments.
The study also shed light on the presence of segmented virus genomic fragments from influenza A virus, norovirus, and rotavirus, illustrating the complexity and diversity of viruses present in wastewater. Geographical differences were observed for astrovirus, saffold virus, husavirus, and aichi virus, which were found to be more prevalent in urban samples. Conversely, zoonotic viruses such as chikungunya and rabies were more abundant in rural environments.
Dr. Kashyap emphasized the far-reaching implications of the study, stating that analyzing wastewater samples enables scientists to gain valuable insights into the health status of the population over time and guide effective healthcare interventions to combat infectious diseases.
This study underscores the significance of wastewater epidemiology as a vital tool in disease surveillance and highlights the urgent need for continued research and investment in this field. By leveraging the insights obtained from wastewater analysis, public health authorities can enhance their ability to monitor and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, thereby protecting the well-being of communities.
