Viral and bacterial contamination in recreational waters: a case study in the Lisbon bay area

Abstract

Aims: To assess the presence of viral pathogens in bathing water samples and to evaluate the interdependency of bacterial indicator counts and viral detection. Methods and Results: Bathing water samples of 16 beaches collected along a Portuguese Coastal area were screened for the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and norovirus genogroup I (NVGI) using RT‐PCR technique. Bacteriological water quality was also assessed, according to European regulations. HAV and NVGI were detected in 95% and 27% of the water samples, respectively, whereas bacteriological quality was good in all but one sample, according to current water quality regulations. Conclusions: All water samples would be considered of excellent quality according to the most recent European regulations. No relationship between viral detection and regulatory‐based bacterial indicators was found. Significance and Impact of the Study: The current results reinforce the importance of increased surveillance for pathogenic viruses in bathing waters.

Microbial quality and physical–chemical characteristics of thermal springs

“…Various diseases including bacterial infections (i.e., skin, eye, ear, and respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, and granuloma), parasitic diseases (such as chronic diarrhea, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis), fungal infections (such as tinea and opportunistic mycosis), and viral diseases (such as hepatitis A, polio, and pharyngitis) may occur by using microbial-contaminated water (Silva et al 2010). Several cases of these diseases, caused by swimming in polluted waters, have been reported (Philpott et al 1963;Papadopoulou et al 2008;Porter et al 1988;Schoefer et al 2008).…”

Investigation of human sewage pollution and pathogen analysis at Florida Gulf coast Beaches

“…1979, 1982; Fleisher et al. 1996, 1998; Silva et al. 2010); however, the contribution of stormwater runoff to pathogens and health risk in recreational waters is much less clear (Noble et al.…”

Hepatitis A Virus (HAV)

“…While samples from both an urban river and canal were analyzed, the only positive samples were from the canals (4/15 positive). Silva et al (2010) used reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to analyze samples from 16 bathing beaches in Portugal, and found 95% to be positive for the virus. The presence of HAV in the Amazon River basin was studied through the analysis of samples taken from 13 streams four times over the course of a year .…”