Surveillance of human enteric and respiratory viruses after a sanitary effluent overflow at Lagoa da Conceição - Florianópolis/SC (Brazil)

Abstract

Lagoa da Conceição, a scenic tourist spot in Santa Catarina Island, sustains local families through fishing and tourism. In January 2021, the sewage containment dam of the evapoinfiltration pond at Lagoa da Conceição's Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) ruptured causing significant sewage release into the area. Despite this evapoinfiltration lagoon's role as a storage for treated sewage, there's a risk of contamination by human feces-borne enteric and respiratory pathogens resistant to the sewage treatment processes applied in conventional STPs. This study aims to monitor human enteric and respiratory viruses in the Lagoa da Conceição after this extravasation event. The viruses considered for environmental monitoring were mastadenovirus (HAdV), enterovirus (EnV), rotavirus group A (RVA), norovirus (HNoV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Over seven months, water samples were collected at three sites and concentrated using the organic flocculation method. Infectious EnV and HAdV were detected in 61.1% and 16.6% of samples, respectively, while other viruses weren't found. The presence of enteric viruses highlights Lagoa da Conceição's contamination by viral pathogens, even seven months after the sewage overflow. Implementing virological analysis is essential to prevent disease spread among the population. A health surveillance system with virological analysis is necessary to promptly identify contaminating pathogens and prevent disease spread among the population.