Abstract
Work has been carried out towards the development of a reverse transcription digital polymerase chain reaction methodology for the monitoring and control of disease outbreaks by wastewater-based epidemiology. Norovirus was assessed as a testcase pathogen: a target RNA sequence was identified, by which norovirus RNA was detected in influent wastewater at a concentration of 51 aM (30 gene copies/µL).
Method development work was carried out towards the identication of a stable sample storage approach, as well as towards the identication and mitigation of the causes of variability within the methodology. Initial method validation work was also carried out, whereby the recovery of a target DNA sequence was used to assess the dynamic range of the assay. Attempts were made towards the time-based analysis of norovirus in influent wastewater, but due to sample instability no norovirus RNA could be detected in frozen samples. This report represents initial steps towards a tool for the wastewater-based monitoring of infectious disease outbreaks for community health.
Method development work was carried out towards the identication of a stable sample storage approach, as well as towards the identication and mitigation of the causes of variability within the methodology. Initial method validation work was also carried out, whereby the recovery of a target DNA sequence was used to assess the dynamic range of the assay. Attempts were made towards the time-based analysis of norovirus in influent wastewater, but due to sample instability no norovirus RNA could be detected in frozen samples. This report represents initial steps towards a tool for the wastewater-based monitoring of infectious disease outbreaks for community health.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | In preparation - 2019 |
