A new BlueAdapt study published by Bangor University and the University of Exeter highlights the potential health risks of viruses surviving in coastal waters. Read the full report published here in Science Direct.
With climate change driving more frequent storms and heatwaves, untreated wastewater carrying human viruses can end up in the ocean, where viruses can persist for longer than previously thought.
The team, led by Dr Jessica Kevill examined seven common viruses found in wastewater, testing how long they survive in seawater at different temperatures. Researchers used two methods to assess this: traditional qPCR, which measures viral RNA, and Capsid Integrity qPCR (CI-qPCR), which focuses on viral viability.
The results revealed an important difference: while qPCR showed viral presence for longer periods, CI-qPCR indicated that many of these viruses were still potentially infectious long after qPCR would suggest they had decayed.
Jessica L. Kevill a , Xiaorong Li b , Alvaro Garcia-Delgado a , Kate Herridge a , Kata Farkas a , William Gaze c , Peter Robins b , Shelagh K. Malham b , Davey L. Jones a
Runoff from agricultural and sewage can introduce pathogens and antimicrobial resistant organisms into our seawaters.
Developing a modelling approach to predict exposure to pathogens in coastal waters, integrating data for live alerts.
Examining impacts of climate change on bacteria and algal blooms to develop strategies for safeguarding health.
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