Survival and recovery of seeded HIV in water and wastewater

Abstract

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is one of the major public health concerns in the world today. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the causative agent of AIDS, has been isolated from blood, semen, and other body fluids as well as excretions from infected individuals as both free virions, cell‐free virus, and as productively infected cells, cell‐associated virus. These body fluids and excretions, when discharged into wastewater collection systems, may contribute to the presence of HIV in wastewater. This raw wastewater, which may contain HIV, passes through wastewater treatment systems and may pose a potential health threat to wastewater treatment plant workers. The objectives of this research were to develop a better understanding of the survival of cell‐associated HIV in wastewater and to develop reliable methods for the concentration and recovery of HIV from wastewater. Casson et al. (1992) reported survival of cell‐free HIV in primary and secondary effluent ≤12 h followed by a reduction in titer 1‐ to 2‐ log in 24–48 hr. The infectivity of cell‐associated HIV was observed to be reduced rapidly after exposure to distilled water. However, a subpopulation of cell‐associated HIV was observed to remain stable through 48 h and remain infectious for ≤96 h in distilled water. Preliminary results indicate that cell‐associated HIV infectivity in nonchlorinated secondary effluent was less stable than in distilled water. Using a bentonite adsorption‐elution procedure, the authors have been able to recover HIV from distilled water and primary and secondary effluent at an efficiency of 30–50% to achieve an 8‐ to 10‐fold concentration depending on the initial HIV concentration. The bentonite‐adsorption elution procedure combined with RT‐PCR amplification provided a highly sensitive procedure for the detection of HIV in water and wastewater as low as one HIV particle per 25 m1.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment and Molecular Biology: Paths to Integration

“…For example, early work showed that the culture and rt-PCR responses of HIV virus in water and under disinfection conditions differed. 54 In natural waters, colony counts of enterococci and PCR gene copies differed in marine water discharges. 55 In both of these examples, the viability as measured by culture decreased faster than the molecular signal.…”

“…It has long been clear that the response of culture-based assessments of viability and molecular-based assessments can differ. For example, early work showed that the culture and rt-PCR responses of HIV virus in water and under disinfection conditions differed . In natural waters, colony counts of enterococci and PCR gene copies differed in marine water discharges .…”

Understanding Ebola Virus Transmission

“…One enveloped RNA virus, bovine diarrhea virus, a member of the family Flaviviridae , persists for 19–30 days in water [ 21 ]. Yet HIV-1, also an enveloped RNA virus, only remains infectious in water for up to 96 h when it is cell-associated [ 24 ]. In fact, it is difficult to generalize about the stability of viruses in water and waste.…”

Detection and quantification of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) total nucleic acids in wastewater settled solids from two California communities

“…Although the use of wastewater monitoring for HIV has not been explored, evidence from early in the HIV pandemic suggests that viral RNA and DNA can be detected in wastewater. Several studies from the early 1990’s demonstrated the detection of HIV nucleic acids and intact virus in natural wastewaters 15,16 and detectability of the virus seeded in wastewater 17,18 . These studies were focused on occupational hazard, rather than monitoring.…”