Water Research Commission- WRC Report No. KV 303/12
The spread of viral pathogens through water is a real possibility as several studies have detecte... more The spread of viral pathogens through water is a real possibility as several studies have detected enteric viruses in treated astewater, including Reoviruses, Astroviruses (AstVs), Saproviruses (SaVs), Rotaviruses (RV), Noroviruses (NoVs), Adenoviruses (AdVs), Hepatitis A viruses (HAVs) and Enteroviruses (EVs). The inherent
resistance of enteric viruses to water disinfection processes means that they can be present in drinking water exposing consumers to the likelihood of infection. The enteric viruses, shed
in large numbers in the faeces of infected individuals, enter source waterways when inadequately treated and untreated human and animal wastes are directly or indirectly discharged into rivers, streams and estuaries. Current safety standards for determining
water quality typically do not specify what level of viruses should be considered acceptable. This is in spite of the fact that viruses are generally more stable than common bacterial indicators in the environment. The study of viruses is relatively poor and has historically been focusing on medical- or agricultural-related viruses. There has been little investigation of the importance of viruses in the aquatic environmental domain, where even basic
information, such as their temporal dynamics and spatial distribution, is almost non-existent. Therefore, it was critical to initiate some environmental viral study in order to have an
understanding of viruses in our water environment
"It is important to consider viruses in water quality because of their incidence as causal agents... more "It is important to consider viruses in water quality because of their incidence as causal agents for diarrheal disease, and
due to their characteristics, which allow them to survive in changing environmental conditions indefinitely. This study
assessed the viral quality of the Umgeni River in South Africa seasonally. A two-step tangential flow filtration process
was setup to remove the bacteria and to concentrate the virus populations from large volume water samples. The
concentrated water samples contained up to 659 and 550 pfu/mL of somatic and F-RNA coliphages, respectively.
Several virus families including Adenoviridae, Herpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Poxviridae, and
Reoviridae were found in the river based on the morphologies examined under transmission electron microscopy. All
concentrated water samples produced substantial cytopathic effects on the Vero, HEK 293, Hela and A549 cell lines.
These results indicate the potential of viruses in the water samples especially from the lower catchment areas of the
Umgeni River to infect human hosts throughout the year. The present study highlights the importance of routine
environmental surveillance of human enteric viruses in water sources. This can contribute to a better understanding of
the actual burden of disease on those who might be using the water directly without treatment."
International Journal of Environmental Health Research
REVIEW ARTICLE
Water quality indicators: bacteria, coliphages, enteric viruses
Johnson Lin* and... more REVIEW ARTICLE
Water quality indicators: bacteria, coliphages, enteric viruses
Johnson Lin* and Atheesha Ganesh
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
(Received 23 May 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
Water quality through the presence of pathogenic enteric microorganisms may affect
human health. Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli and coliphages are normally used
as indicators of water quality. However, the presence of above-mentioned indicators
do not always suggest the presence of human enteric viruses. It is important to study
human enteric viruses in water. Human enteric viruses can tolerate fluctuating environmental
conditions and survive in the environment for long periods of time
becoming causal agents of diarrhoeal diseases. Therefore, the potential of human
pathogenic viruses as significant indicators of water quality is emerging. Human
Adenoviruses and other viruses have been proposed as suitable indices for the effective
identification of such organisms of human origin contaminating water systems.
This article reports on the recent developments in the management of water quality
specifically focusing on human enteric viruses as indicators.
Keywords: water quality indicators; enteric viruses; E. coli; total/faecal coliforms;
coliphages
International Journal of Environmental Health Research
"Waterborne human pathogenic viruses of public health concern
Atheesha Ganesh and Johnson Lin*
... more "Waterborne human pathogenic viruses of public health concern
Atheesha Ganesh and Johnson Lin*
Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville),
Durban, South Africa
(Received 20 March 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
In recent years, the impending impact of waterborne pathogens on human health has
become a growing concern. Drinking water and recreational exposure to polluted
water have shown to be linked to viral infections, since viruses are shed in extremely
high numbers in the faeces and vomit of infected individuals and are routinely introduced
into the water environment. All of the identified pathogenic viruses that pose
a significant public health threat in the water environment are transmitted via the faecal–
oral route. This group, are collectively known as enteric viruses, and their possible
health effects include gastroenteritis, paralysis, meningitis, hepatitis, respiratory
illness and diarrhoea. This review addresses both past and recent investigations into
viral contamination of surface waters, with emphasis on six types of potential
waterborne human pathogenic viruses. In addition, the viral associated illnesses are
outlined with reference to their pathogenesis and routes of transmission.
Keywords: waterborne; pathogen; virus; gastroenteritis; pathogenesis"
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Jan 1, 2011
Four protein extraction methods and three protein quantification techniques were compared with Pa... more Four protein extraction methods and three protein quantification techniques were compared with Paenibacillus sp. whole cells. Proteins were extracted using conventional cell disruption techniques encompassing: sonication and glass bead vortexing, as well as BugBuster Master Mix extraction and Total Protein Kit extraction. The Bradford assay, Folin-Lowry assay and UV absorbance at 280 nm were used for protein quantification methods. Differences in protein profiles were examined by 2D-PAGE and subsequently analysed using PDQuest Advanced 2D Analysis software. All extraction methods revealed proteins over broad molecular weight range. UV absorbance at 280 nm using the NanoDrop™1000 and the Bradford assay yielded best quantification results. Rapid and effective disruption and quantification of Paenibacillus sp. strain D9 cells was successfully achieved using the combination of Total Protein Extraction Kit-UV280 followed by BugBuster Master-UV280.
Water Research Commission- WRC Report No. KV 303/12
The spread of viral pathogens through water is a real possibility as several studies have detecte... more The spread of viral pathogens through water is a real possibility as several studies have detected enteric viruses in treated astewater, including Reoviruses, Astroviruses (AstVs), Saproviruses (SaVs), Rotaviruses (RV), Noroviruses (NoVs), Adenoviruses (AdVs), Hepatitis A viruses (HAVs) and Enteroviruses (EVs). The inherent
resistance of enteric viruses to water disinfection processes means that they can be present in drinking water exposing consumers to the likelihood of infection. The enteric viruses, shed
in large numbers in the faeces of infected individuals, enter source waterways when inadequately treated and untreated human and animal wastes are directly or indirectly discharged into rivers, streams and estuaries. Current safety standards for determining
water quality typically do not specify what level of viruses should be considered acceptable. This is in spite of the fact that viruses are generally more stable than common bacterial indicators in the environment. The study of viruses is relatively poor and has historically been focusing on medical- or agricultural-related viruses. There has been little investigation of the importance of viruses in the aquatic environmental domain, where even basic
information, such as their temporal dynamics and spatial distribution, is almost non-existent. Therefore, it was critical to initiate some environmental viral study in order to have an
understanding of viruses in our water environment
"It is important to consider viruses in water quality because of their incidence as causal agents... more "It is important to consider viruses in water quality because of their incidence as causal agents for diarrheal disease, and
due to their characteristics, which allow them to survive in changing environmental conditions indefinitely. This study
assessed the viral quality of the Umgeni River in South Africa seasonally. A two-step tangential flow filtration process
was setup to remove the bacteria and to concentrate the virus populations from large volume water samples. The
concentrated water samples contained up to 659 and 550 pfu/mL of somatic and F-RNA coliphages, respectively.
Several virus families including Adenoviridae, Herpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Poxviridae, and
Reoviridae were found in the river based on the morphologies examined under transmission electron microscopy. All
concentrated water samples produced substantial cytopathic effects on the Vero, HEK 293, Hela and A549 cell lines.
These results indicate the potential of viruses in the water samples especially from the lower catchment areas of the
Umgeni River to infect human hosts throughout the year. The present study highlights the importance of routine
environmental surveillance of human enteric viruses in water sources. This can contribute to a better understanding of
the actual burden of disease on those who might be using the water directly without treatment."
International Journal of Environmental Health Research
REVIEW ARTICLE
Water quality indicators: bacteria, coliphages, enteric viruses
Johnson Lin* and... more REVIEW ARTICLE
Water quality indicators: bacteria, coliphages, enteric viruses
Johnson Lin* and Atheesha Ganesh
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
(Received 23 May 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
Water quality through the presence of pathogenic enteric microorganisms may affect
human health. Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli and coliphages are normally used
as indicators of water quality. However, the presence of above-mentioned indicators
do not always suggest the presence of human enteric viruses. It is important to study
human enteric viruses in water. Human enteric viruses can tolerate fluctuating environmental
conditions and survive in the environment for long periods of time
becoming causal agents of diarrhoeal diseases. Therefore, the potential of human
pathogenic viruses as significant indicators of water quality is emerging. Human
Adenoviruses and other viruses have been proposed as suitable indices for the effective
identification of such organisms of human origin contaminating water systems.
This article reports on the recent developments in the management of water quality
specifically focusing on human enteric viruses as indicators.
Keywords: water quality indicators; enteric viruses; E. coli; total/faecal coliforms;
coliphages
International Journal of Environmental Health Research
"Waterborne human pathogenic viruses of public health concern
Atheesha Ganesh and Johnson Lin*
... more "Waterborne human pathogenic viruses of public health concern
Atheesha Ganesh and Johnson Lin*
Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville),
Durban, South Africa
(Received 20 March 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
In recent years, the impending impact of waterborne pathogens on human health has
become a growing concern. Drinking water and recreational exposure to polluted
water have shown to be linked to viral infections, since viruses are shed in extremely
high numbers in the faeces and vomit of infected individuals and are routinely introduced
into the water environment. All of the identified pathogenic viruses that pose
a significant public health threat in the water environment are transmitted via the faecal–
oral route. This group, are collectively known as enteric viruses, and their possible
health effects include gastroenteritis, paralysis, meningitis, hepatitis, respiratory
illness and diarrhoea. This review addresses both past and recent investigations into
viral contamination of surface waters, with emphasis on six types of potential
waterborne human pathogenic viruses. In addition, the viral associated illnesses are
outlined with reference to their pathogenesis and routes of transmission.
Keywords: waterborne; pathogen; virus; gastroenteritis; pathogenesis"
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Jan 1, 2011
Four protein extraction methods and three protein quantification techniques were compared with Pa... more Four protein extraction methods and three protein quantification techniques were compared with Paenibacillus sp. whole cells. Proteins were extracted using conventional cell disruption techniques encompassing: sonication and glass bead vortexing, as well as BugBuster Master Mix extraction and Total Protein Kit extraction. The Bradford assay, Folin-Lowry assay and UV absorbance at 280 nm were used for protein quantification methods. Differences in protein profiles were examined by 2D-PAGE and subsequently analysed using PDQuest Advanced 2D Analysis software. All extraction methods revealed proteins over broad molecular weight range. UV absorbance at 280 nm using the NanoDrop™1000 and the Bradford assay yielded best quantification results. Rapid and effective disruption and quantification of Paenibacillus sp. strain D9 cells was successfully achieved using the combination of Total Protein Extraction Kit-UV280 followed by BugBuster Master-UV280.
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Papers by Dr Atheesha (Ganesh) Singh
resistance of enteric viruses to water disinfection processes means that they can be present in drinking water exposing consumers to the likelihood of infection. The enteric viruses, shed
in large numbers in the faeces of infected individuals, enter source waterways when inadequately treated and untreated human and animal wastes are directly or indirectly discharged into rivers, streams and estuaries. Current safety standards for determining
water quality typically do not specify what level of viruses should be considered acceptable. This is in spite of the fact that viruses are generally more stable than common bacterial indicators in the environment. The study of viruses is relatively poor and has historically been focusing on medical- or agricultural-related viruses. There has been little investigation of the importance of viruses in the aquatic environmental domain, where even basic
information, such as their temporal dynamics and spatial distribution, is almost non-existent. Therefore, it was critical to initiate some environmental viral study in order to have an
understanding of viruses in our water environment
due to their characteristics, which allow them to survive in changing environmental conditions indefinitely. This study
assessed the viral quality of the Umgeni River in South Africa seasonally. A two-step tangential flow filtration process
was setup to remove the bacteria and to concentrate the virus populations from large volume water samples. The
concentrated water samples contained up to 659 and 550 pfu/mL of somatic and F-RNA coliphages, respectively.
Several virus families including Adenoviridae, Herpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Poxviridae, and
Reoviridae were found in the river based on the morphologies examined under transmission electron microscopy. All
concentrated water samples produced substantial cytopathic effects on the Vero, HEK 293, Hela and A549 cell lines.
These results indicate the potential of viruses in the water samples especially from the lower catchment areas of the
Umgeni River to infect human hosts throughout the year. The present study highlights the importance of routine
environmental surveillance of human enteric viruses in water sources. This can contribute to a better understanding of
the actual burden of disease on those who might be using the water directly without treatment."
Water quality indicators: bacteria, coliphages, enteric viruses
Johnson Lin* and Atheesha Ganesh
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
(Received 23 May 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
Water quality through the presence of pathogenic enteric microorganisms may affect
human health. Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli and coliphages are normally used
as indicators of water quality. However, the presence of above-mentioned indicators
do not always suggest the presence of human enteric viruses. It is important to study
human enteric viruses in water. Human enteric viruses can tolerate fluctuating environmental
conditions and survive in the environment for long periods of time
becoming causal agents of diarrhoeal diseases. Therefore, the potential of human
pathogenic viruses as significant indicators of water quality is emerging. Human
Adenoviruses and other viruses have been proposed as suitable indices for the effective
identification of such organisms of human origin contaminating water systems.
This article reports on the recent developments in the management of water quality
specifically focusing on human enteric viruses as indicators.
Keywords: water quality indicators; enteric viruses; E. coli; total/faecal coliforms;
coliphages
Atheesha Ganesh and Johnson Lin*
Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville),
Durban, South Africa
(Received 20 March 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
In recent years, the impending impact of waterborne pathogens on human health has
become a growing concern. Drinking water and recreational exposure to polluted
water have shown to be linked to viral infections, since viruses are shed in extremely
high numbers in the faeces and vomit of infected individuals and are routinely introduced
into the water environment. All of the identified pathogenic viruses that pose
a significant public health threat in the water environment are transmitted via the faecal–
oral route. This group, are collectively known as enteric viruses, and their possible
health effects include gastroenteritis, paralysis, meningitis, hepatitis, respiratory
illness and diarrhoea. This review addresses both past and recent investigations into
viral contamination of surface waters, with emphasis on six types of potential
waterborne human pathogenic viruses. In addition, the viral associated illnesses are
outlined with reference to their pathogenesis and routes of transmission.
Keywords: waterborne; pathogen; virus; gastroenteritis; pathogenesis"
resistance of enteric viruses to water disinfection processes means that they can be present in drinking water exposing consumers to the likelihood of infection. The enteric viruses, shed
in large numbers in the faeces of infected individuals, enter source waterways when inadequately treated and untreated human and animal wastes are directly or indirectly discharged into rivers, streams and estuaries. Current safety standards for determining
water quality typically do not specify what level of viruses should be considered acceptable. This is in spite of the fact that viruses are generally more stable than common bacterial indicators in the environment. The study of viruses is relatively poor and has historically been focusing on medical- or agricultural-related viruses. There has been little investigation of the importance of viruses in the aquatic environmental domain, where even basic
information, such as their temporal dynamics and spatial distribution, is almost non-existent. Therefore, it was critical to initiate some environmental viral study in order to have an
understanding of viruses in our water environment
due to their characteristics, which allow them to survive in changing environmental conditions indefinitely. This study
assessed the viral quality of the Umgeni River in South Africa seasonally. A two-step tangential flow filtration process
was setup to remove the bacteria and to concentrate the virus populations from large volume water samples. The
concentrated water samples contained up to 659 and 550 pfu/mL of somatic and F-RNA coliphages, respectively.
Several virus families including Adenoviridae, Herpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Poxviridae, and
Reoviridae were found in the river based on the morphologies examined under transmission electron microscopy. All
concentrated water samples produced substantial cytopathic effects on the Vero, HEK 293, Hela and A549 cell lines.
These results indicate the potential of viruses in the water samples especially from the lower catchment areas of the
Umgeni River to infect human hosts throughout the year. The present study highlights the importance of routine
environmental surveillance of human enteric viruses in water sources. This can contribute to a better understanding of
the actual burden of disease on those who might be using the water directly without treatment."
Water quality indicators: bacteria, coliphages, enteric viruses
Johnson Lin* and Atheesha Ganesh
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
(Received 23 May 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
Water quality through the presence of pathogenic enteric microorganisms may affect
human health. Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli and coliphages are normally used
as indicators of water quality. However, the presence of above-mentioned indicators
do not always suggest the presence of human enteric viruses. It is important to study
human enteric viruses in water. Human enteric viruses can tolerate fluctuating environmental
conditions and survive in the environment for long periods of time
becoming causal agents of diarrhoeal diseases. Therefore, the potential of human
pathogenic viruses as significant indicators of water quality is emerging. Human
Adenoviruses and other viruses have been proposed as suitable indices for the effective
identification of such organisms of human origin contaminating water systems.
This article reports on the recent developments in the management of water quality
specifically focusing on human enteric viruses as indicators.
Keywords: water quality indicators; enteric viruses; E. coli; total/faecal coliforms;
coliphages
Atheesha Ganesh and Johnson Lin*
Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville),
Durban, South Africa
(Received 20 March 2012; final version received 16 December 2012)
In recent years, the impending impact of waterborne pathogens on human health has
become a growing concern. Drinking water and recreational exposure to polluted
water have shown to be linked to viral infections, since viruses are shed in extremely
high numbers in the faeces and vomit of infected individuals and are routinely introduced
into the water environment. All of the identified pathogenic viruses that pose
a significant public health threat in the water environment are transmitted via the faecal–
oral route. This group, are collectively known as enteric viruses, and their possible
health effects include gastroenteritis, paralysis, meningitis, hepatitis, respiratory
illness and diarrhoea. This review addresses both past and recent investigations into
viral contamination of surface waters, with emphasis on six types of potential
waterborne human pathogenic viruses. In addition, the viral associated illnesses are
outlined with reference to their pathogenesis and routes of transmission.
Keywords: waterborne; pathogen; virus; gastroenteritis; pathogenesis"