Testing for viral material in water of public bathing areas of the Danube during summer, Vojvodina, Serbia, 2014

Abstract

From August to September 2014 a water quality study was conducted on five popular public Danube beaches in Vojvodina, Serbia. To assess the safety of Danube water for bathing, physical, chemical, bacteriological tests were performed. While many parameters for monitoring the quality of water are regulated by law, there are neither national nor international legislations addressing the presence of viruses in recreational waters. In this study, we performed analyses that surpassed national requirements, and investigated if adenovirus, enterovirus or rotavirus genetic material was present in samples of recreational water collected for quality monitoring. Of 90 water samples obtained during the study, enterovirus material was not found in any sample, but adenovirus and rotavirus genetic materials were respectively detected in 60 and 31 samples. Statistical analyses showed a significant correlation between adenovirus DNA and total coliforms in the water. Even when water samples were adequate for recreational use, adenoviruses were detected in 75% (57/76) of such samples. Our results indicate that implementation of viral indicators in recreational water might be helpful to better assess public health safety. This might be particularly relevant in areas where urban wastewater treatment is insufficient and surface waters affected by wastewater are used for recreation.

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“…This finding is consistent with a recent study showing high prevalence of adenoviruses (75%) in bathing water samples, which nevertheless complied with the regulations for recreational use [40]. Moreover, Boehm et al reviewed the lack of correlation between FIB and human pathogen concentrations and between FIB and human health, especially in recreational areas of non-point-source contamination [41].…”

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“…In conclusion, this special issue provides some insights into the importance of surveillance of pathogens in the water [19][20][21][22][23] and outbreaks or cases caused by waterborne pathogens [19,21,23]. Wider studies could help further refine criteria for assessing water treatment processes.…”

“…Should it be a priori known what viruses likely contaminate water in an area, defining more specific tools to confirm their presence may be considered. Moreover in terms of further risk assessment, and as also discussed in the Serbian study in this issue [21], assays to determine the presence of infectious virus might also be of value.…”

“…A study from Serbia conducted during the bathing season reveals adenovirus and rotavirus genetic materials in recreational waters of the Danube, along popular public beaches in addition to faecal contamination. As the presence of viruses could not necessarily be predicted by the amount of bacteria measured in the water via routine quality control, the authors conclude that viral indicators may be helpful for further assessing the risks posed by water, in particular in areas where the sewer network is insufficient or inadequate [21].…”

“…As illustrated by some of the above studies [19,21], adequate management of wastewater is crucial. Indeed, water contaminated by wastewater can subsequently cumulate in larger water bodies such as lakes or the ocean.…”