Incidence of enteric viruses in sewage, the efficacy of wastewater treatment plants to remove these viruses, and health effects from their release into the surface water are very important environmental issues in the microbiology field. One of the most pathogenic enteric viruses is adenovirus which can cause a serious disease such as gastroenteritis with low grade fever and mild dehydration in humans. In this study we performed qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of HAdV on 60 stool samples from children with acute gastroenteritis admitted to Abu-Rish hospital and 96 environmental samples (32 raw sewage, 32 treated sewage, 32 sewage sludge) collected from Zenin wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). HAdV were detected in 17 (28.3%) of stool, 27 (84.4%) of raw sewage, 16 (50%) of treated sewage and 25 (78%) of sludge samples. The viral concentrations were in the range of 2.02 × 106–7.23 × 106, 8.7 × 105–4.3 × 106, 1.22 × 104–3.7 × 106 and 1.48 × 106–1.77 × 107 GC/mL in stool, raw sewage, treated sewage, and sludge, respectively. HAdV was detected throughout the whole year of sample collection. Moreover, our results suggested that males were more susceptible to adenovirus infections than females. The results indicate that the high incidence of HAdV in the treated sewage may cause adverse health effects. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the generous support of a global network of libraries as part of the Knowledge Unlatched Select initiative.

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Sewage discharge is considered to be the primary source of viral contamination in aquatic environments. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of El-Rahawy wastewater on the water quality of the Rosetta branch of the River Nile (Rosetta River Nile) through detection of astrovirus (AstV) and norovirus (NoV) in the water and sediments of both sites. For this purpose, we collected 72 wastewater and 12 sediment samples from El-Rahawy drain, and 12 river water and 12 sediment samples from Rosetta River Nile before and after mixing with El-Rahawy wastewater between April 2017 and March 2018. AstVs and NoVs were identified in wastewater (40.2% versus 25%), El-Rahawy sediment (41.6% versus 20.8%), river water after mixing with wastewater (25% versus 16.6%), river water before mixing with wastewater (8.3% versus 0%), river sediment after mixing with wastewater (16.6% versus 8.3%), and no viruses were found in river sediments before mixing with wastewater. AstV genogroup B and NoV genogroup GI were the most frequently detected genotypes in the analyzed samples, with a peak incidence in the winter months. Increasing detection rates of both viruses in El-Rahawy drain samples and river water taken from the Rosetta branch after receiving El-Rahawy wastewater reflect the impact of this drain on the water quality of this stretch of the River Nile.

In this study, the prevalence of astrovirus (AstV), norovirus (NoV), and group C rotaviruses (RVC) were described in urban sewage, sewage sludge, river water, and sediment samples from Egypt. AstV, NoV, and RVC were detected in 58.3%, 33.3%, and 25% of the raw sewage samples; in 33.3%, 25%, and 16.6% of the treated sewage samples; and in 66.6%, 16.6%, and 8.3% of the sludge samples, respectively. On the other hand, AstV, NoV, and RVC were detected in 25%, 16.6%, and 8.3% of the river water samples and in 16.6%, 8.3%, and 0% of the river sediment samples, respectively. The study revealed that AstV genogroup B and NoV genogroup I are the most frequent genotypes in the Egyptian environment. Furthermore, the peak prevalence of AstV and RVC in river water and raw sewage samples was found in winter months however there was no clear seasonality for NoV spread. This study support the importance of considering viral markers to ensure the quality of water and the utilization of these markers as additional tests for the characterization of water contamination.

Bacteriophages are bacterial-specific viruses and the most abundant biological form on Earth. Each bacterial species possesses one or multiple bacteriophages and the specificity of infection makes them a promising alternative for bacterial control and environmental safety, as a biotechnological tool against pathogenic bacteria, including those resistant to antibiotics. This application can be either directly into foods and food-related environments as biocontrol agents of biofilm formation. In addition, bacteriophages are used for microbial source-tracking and as fecal indicators. The present review will focus on the uses of bacteriophages like bacterial control tools, environmental safety indicators as well as on their contribution to bacterial control in human, animal, and environmental health.