Detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater using a mobile laboratory setting

Shubham Mathur, Ikram Salah, Haneen Msarwa, Hillary A. Craddock, Jacob Moran-Gilad

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This study evaluated a point-of-care device for wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) of SARS-CoV-2 circulation. WBE is a critical tool but faces challenges such as laboratory infrastructure, sample transport, skilled personnel, and time-consuming methods. Currently, a rapid, portable solution for wastewater surveillance is lacking. From June to September 2022, the performance of the GeneXpert instrument was compared with an established in-house method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in 151 wastewater samples across laboratory, field, and mobile testing environments. In the laboratory setting, GeneXpert showed 100% agreement in detection, with 94.6% of positive samples displaying a viral load difference of ± 1 log compared to the in-house method. Field testing demonstrated 90% agreement, with 92.6% of GeneXpert-positive samples showing similar log differences. In mobile testing, GeneXpert detected 62.5% of samples, and testing faced technical issues. Overall, GeneXpert displayed a limit of detection of 12 cpml−1 with results available in under an hour, making it a promising tool for rapid and deployable wastewater testing. This requires further validation while addressing technical challenges related to field and mobile settings.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberovae135
JournalLetters in Applied Microbiology
Volume78
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • environmental virology
  • molecular diagnostic
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • wastewater
  • wastewater-based epidemiology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

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