key: cord-314663-8cf0jci9
authors: Ampuero, M.; Valenzuela, S.; Valiente-Echeverria, F.; Soto-Rifo, R.; Barriga, G. P.; Chnaiderman, J.; Rojas, C.; Guajardo-Leiva, S.; Diez, B.; Gaggero, A.
title: SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Sewage in Santiago, Chile - Preliminary results.
date: 2020-07-03
journal: nan
DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.02.20145177
sha: 
doc_id: 314663
cord_uid: 8cf0jci9

The detection of viruses in sewage is a method of environmental surveillance, which allows evaluating the circulation of different viruses in a community. This study presents the first results of sewage surveillance to detect the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 virus in Santiago, Chile. Using ultracentrifugation associated with RT-qPCR, we detected SARS-CoV-2 in untreated and treated wastewater samples obtained two treatment plants, which together process around 85% of the wastewater from the city. This is the first report of detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage in Chile and indicates that wastewater surveillance could be a sensitive tool useful as a predictive marker of the circulation of the virus in a population and therefore, be used as an early warning tool.

The detection of viruses in sewage is a method of environmental surveillance, which allows evaluating the circulation of different viruses in a community. This study presents the first results of sewage surveillance to detect the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 virus in Santiago, Chile. Using ultracentrifugation associated with RT-qPCR, we detected SARS-CoV-2 in untreated and treated wastewater samples obtained two treatment plants, which together process around 85% of the wastewater from the city. This is the first report of detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage in Chile and indicates that wastewater surveillance could be a sensitive tool useful as a predictive marker of the circulation of the virus in a population and therefore, be used as an early warning tool. was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

The copyright holder for this preprint (which this version posted July 3, 2020. was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

The copyright holder for this preprint (which this version posted July 3, 2020. . https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.02.20145177 doi: medRxiv preprint Forthy-two mL of each sample was concentrated by ultracentrifugation and the final pellet was re-suspended in 200 μl of sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS) pH 7.4 and stored at -80 ºC until use. 10, 11 Viral RNA was extracted from concentrated sewage using the QIAampÒ Viral RNA Mini kit (QIAGEN, CA, USA) as described by the manufacturer. All samples were analyzed directly and also diluted 1:10 to discard the eventually effects of inhibitors. was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

The copyright holder for this preprint (which this version posted July 3, 2020. . previously reported thus, ensuring that the concentration procedure by ultracentrifugation and subsequent nucleic acid extraction was properly performed. 12

The goal of this study was to detect SARS-CoV-2 in sewage samples in Santiago, Chile. For this, sewage samples were obtained monthly between March to June 2020 from two WWTPs (La Farfana and El Trebal) which together process about 85% of wastewater generated in Santiago.

In both WWTP's, the SARS-CoV-2 genome copy numbers progressively increased from May to June, which correlated with the increase in the number of estimated virus shedders in the community. was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

The copyright holder for this preprint (which this version posted July 3, 2020. . https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.02.20145177 doi: medRxiv preprint was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

The copyright holder for this preprint (which this version posted July 3, 2020. . https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.02.20145177 doi: medRxiv preprint Figure 3 . SARS-CoV-2 genome equivalent/mL according to the increased of confirmed cases of COVID-19 per month in Santiago All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.

was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

The copyright holder for this preprint (which this version posted July 3, 2020. . https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.02.20145177 doi: medRxiv preprint

Enfermedad por SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Departamento de Epidemiología. Ministerio de Salud Pública de Chile

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This study was supported by Fondecyt grant nº 1181656.Authors would like to thank the assistance of the Aguas Andinas WWTP operators, who provided the sewage samples and the Chilean Science, Technology,