Detection of rotaviruses in river water and sewage water in Shanghai by RT-PCR

Rotavirus is the most common pathogen for severe diarrhoea among children transmitted by faecal-oral route. The presence of rataviruses in water environment is a public concern being associated with waterborn gastroenteritis of nonbacterial orgin by consumption of virus-contaminated water even at low concentrations. The river water samples collected from Huangpu River, Suzhou Creek and Yunzao Brook in summer and autumn-winter seasons and untreated waste water and treated waste water samples from 3 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Shanghai urban area were assessed for the occurrence of rotavirus pollution using sodium chloride-aluminum chloride precipitation method and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Our results showed that 31.0% of total 42 river water samples were polluted by rotavirueses. The rate of rotavirus contamination in the river water samples from low to high was: Yunzao Brook < Suzhou Creek < Huangpu river. The positive rate in the samples collected during the autumn-winter season was above 50%, significantly higher than the samples collected during the summer season, consistent with the seasonal outbreak trend of the rotavirus-ralated diarrhoea in Shanghai. All treated waste water samples from STPs were found with completed rotavirus elimination, which suggested that the outlet of waste water from STPs was not the source of rotavirus-contamination in the receiving river water, and direct discharge of municipal waste water into the river might be the reason for that rotavirus pollution in the river water in Shanghai urban area.