Respiratory tract infections in humans, caused by viruses, are a major cause of deaths worldwide and they are becoming more prevalent at an increasing rate. Two recent examples of this are the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS). Recently, it has been shown that these can be transmitted through fecal matter and hence they may be present in wastewater. Before recommendations can be provided to deal with the release of respiratory viruses to the environment, the actual infective virus loads must be assessed. This proposed study will determine what typical concentration of respiratory tract viruses are in wastewater. These data will allow the those in the area of wastewater treatment to formulet plans on how to control these threats.
To seek answers to this problem, during this study the following three research tasks are included:
1) Develop an integrated cell culture/mass spectrometry (ICC-MS) method that simultaneously identifies enveloped respiratory virus strains and confirms their infective state; 2) Assess levels of infective enveloped respiratory viruses in raw wastewater and through a standard wastewater treatment plant over a period of two years, and, 3) Conduct bench-scale experiments to optimize selected wastewater treatment steps for respiratory virus removal under background and heightened viral load conditions that would be possible during an outbreak or seasonal peaks.
This research plan will provide a unique and urgently needed information on the fate of infective respiratory viruses in wastewater. To date, research on viruses in the aquatic environment has focused almost entirely on detecting the presence and infectivity of enteric viruses, despite the fact the respiratory viruses are likely present. If high levels of infective respiratory viruses are present in wastewater, then the results may lead to widespread modifications in wastewater treatment and the adoption of outbreak preparedness plans. Alternatively, if results suggest minimal infective respiratory viruses in wastewater and wastewater products, then the information will provide valuable reassurance to the public, particularly during otherwise stressful outbreak events.
To disseminate the results of this project to both the public and to wastewater agencies, professional workshops on pathogens in wastewater treatment will be developed. For the younger students an interactive exhibit on wastewater treatment processes and research for the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum will be developed.
