Environmental surveillance for COVID-19 using SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in wastewater - a study in District East, Karachi, Pakistan.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Wastewater-based surveillance is used to track the temporal patterns of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in communities. Viral RNA particle detection in wastewater samples can indicate an outbreak within a catchment area. We describe the feasibility of using a sewage network to monitor SARS-CoV-2 trend and use of genomic sequencing to describe the viral variant abundance in an urban district in Karachi, Pakistan. This was among the first studies from Pakistan to demonstrate the surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 from a semi-formal sewage system.

Methods

Four sites draining into the Lyari River in District East, Karachi, were identified and included in the current study. Raw sewage samples were collected early morning twice weekly from each site between June 10, 2021 and January 17,

SUBMITTER: Ansari N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10794106 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature