The aim of this study was to apply environmental surveillance to evaluate circulation of non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) in sewage in Poland. Samples of raw sewage were collected in 14 sewage disposal systems from January to December, 2011. Sewage samples were concentrated prior to analysis by RT-PCR and isolation in cells (RD, L20B and Caco-2). Out of the 165 analysed samples, 127 (77%) were positive for enteroviruses using RT-PCR and 109 (66%) were positive for enteroviruses using cell culture methods and the highest detection rate was observed in the summer and autumn. In total, 141 enteroviruses were identified using neutralization test (107 NPEVs and 34 polioviruses). Accounting for 52% of all the detected NPEVs, E11 and E3 were the predominant serotypes identified in raw sewage. Retrospectively, E11 was the known aetiology for the past aseptic meningitis outbreaks in Poland, as E3 being rarely associated with any outbreak prior to 2013. In conclusion, the environmental surveillance provides data which may help in understanding the epidemiology of enteroviruses in humans.

As a complement to the active search for cases of acute flaccid paralysis, environmental sampling was conducted from January to December 2011, to test for any putative polio revertants and recombinants in sewage. A total of 165 environmental samples were obtained and analyzed for the presence of polioviruses by use of cell culture (L20B, RD and Caco-2) followed by neutralization and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Out of the 31 CPE positive samples, 26 contained one and 5 two different serotypes, yielding a total of 36 PVs. The microneutralization test revealed the presence of 7, 10 and 19 strains belonging to poliovirus serotype 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The genomic variability of 36 poliovirus strains was examined by the restriction fragment length polymorphism assay (RFLP). By combined analyses of two distant, polymorphic segments of the viral genome, one situated in the capsid protein VP1 coding region and the other in the 3D-polymerase coding region, we screened for the putative poliovirus revertants and recombinants. All detected PVs were classified as vaccine strains on the basis of RFLP-VP1 test. None of wild-type PVs or vaccine derived polioviruses were detected. RFLP assay also revealed the presence of 11 recombinants in 3D-polymerase coding region. Nine isolates appeared to be S3/S2, one S3/S1 and S1/S2 recombinant in analyzed 3Dpol region. This study revealed, through environmental monitoring, the introduction of SL PVs into the population associated with the routine use of OPV in Poland before the April 2016. Our findings demonstrate the usefulness of environmental surveillance in the overall polio eradication program.

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Streszczenie: Ludzki herpeswirus typu 4 (HHV-4), znany także jako wirus Epsteina-Barr (EBV) oraz ludzki herpeswirus typu 8 należą do podrodziny Gammaherpesvirinae. Oba wirusy mają zdolność ustanawiania latencji w limfocytach B. Zakażenia przez nie wywoływane mają najczęściej łagodny przebieg i samoograniczający charakter, jednak u osób z upośledzeniem odporności mogą wywoływać schorzenia o ciężkim przebiegu. Niedobory odporności mogą prowadzić do zmian nowotworowych związanych z zakażeniami powodowanymi przez gammaherpeswirusy. Dotyczy to zarówno osób poddanych immunosupresji w związku z zabiegami przeszczepienia, jak i osób zakażonych wirusem upośledzenia odporności, u których występuje współzakażenie EBV lub HHV-8. Wirus Epsteina-Barr związany jest także z groźnymi zakażeniami u ludzi obarczonych pewnymi wrodzonymi zespołami niedoborów odporności. W prezentowanym artykule zamieszczono informacje na temat epidemiologii, patogenezy, objawów klinicznych oraz leczenia zakażeń EBV i HHV-8 u osób z upośledzeniem odporności.