General and host-associated bacteriophage indicators of faecal pollution

Jebri, Sihem; Muniesa, Maite; Jofre, Juan

doi:10.14321/waterpathogens.7

Cited by 13 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 130 publications

(215 reference statements)

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“…Our findings are consistent with other studies where GB-124 phages were either not detected or detected at very low levels (close to the limit of detection) in non-human samples ( Payan et al, 2005 ; Ebdon et al, 2007 , 2012 ; Ogilvie et al, 2012 ; Harwood et al, 2013 ; McMinn et al, 2014 ; Diston and Wicki, 2015 ). These findings are also in line with the observations of Jebri et al (2017) , who suggest that source specificity is not absolute and, though seldom, Bacteroides host strains detect very low numbers of phages in the non-corresponding sources. Another possible reason for the presence of the GB-124 phages in a few porcine fecal samples could be the result of cross-contamination of porcine and human feces at the sample collection sites which were located in densely-populated household compounds.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Evaluation of Low-Cost Phage-Based Microbial Source Tracking Tools for Elucidating Human Fecal Contamination Pathways in Kolkata, India

et al. 2021

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Graphical AbstractPhages infecting Bacteroides fragilis strain GB-124 and non-source specific somatic coliphages (SOMCPH) were deployed for identification of fecal contamination pathways in Kolkata, India. Analyses of environmental samples representative of nine different exposure pathways, pooled sewage from shared community toilets and sewage from pumping stations showed the presence of both SOMCPH and GB-124 phages in all the sample types.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Evaluation of Low-Cost Phage-Based Microbial Source Tracking Tools for Elucidating Human Fecal Contamination Pathways in Kolkata, India

et al. 2021

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“…Bacteriophages have been incorporated in recently developed guidelines for water quality monitoring ( NHMRC, 2011 ; European Commission, 2018 ; Health Canada, 2019 ). In particular, somatic bacteriophages and F-RNA phages have proved to be reliable indicators of fecal viral pollution and suitable for use in water treatment processes ( Jofre et al, 2016 ; Jebri et al, 2017 ). MST studies have used genogroups of F-specific RNA phages ( Jofre et al, 2011 ) and bacteriophages infecting selected strains of Bacteroides ( Tartera et al, 1989 ; Gómez-Dóñate et al, 2011 ; Jofre et al, 2014 ) to detect the source of fecal pollution in water environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacteriophages Are Good Estimators of Human Viruses Present in Water

et al. 2021

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The detection of fecal viral pathogens in water is hampered by their great variety and complex analysis. As traditional bacterial indicators are poor viral indicators, there is a need for alternative methods, such as the use of somatic coliphages, which have been included in water safety regulations in recent years. Some researchers have also recommended the use of reference viral pathogens such as noroviruses or other enteric viruses to improve the prediction of fecal viral pollution of human origin. In this work, phages previously tested in microbial source tracking studies were compared with norovirus and adenovirus for their suitability as indicators of human fecal viruses. The phages, namely those infecting human-associated Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron strain GA17 (GA17PH) and porcine-associated Bacteroides strain PG76 (PGPH), and the human-associated crAssphage marker (crAssPH), were evaluated in sewage samples and fecal mixtures obtained from different animals in five European countries, along with norovirus GI + GII (NoV) and human adenovirus (HAdV). GA17PH had an overall sensitivity of ≥83% and the highest specificity (>88%) for human pollution source detection. crAssPH showed the highest sensitivity (100%) and specificity (100%) in northern European countries but a much lower specificity in Spain and Portugal (10 and 30%, respectively), being detected in animal wastewater samples with a high concentration of fecal indicators. The correlations between GA17PH, crAssPH, or the sum of both (BACPH) and HAdV or NoV were higher than between the two human viruses, indicating that bacteriophages are feasible indicators of human viral pathogens of fecal origin and constitute a promising, easy to use and affordable alternative to human viruses for routine water safety monitoring.

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“…The WMS and bioinformatic annotation strategy employed in this study identified fecal-associated microorganisms with finer taxonomic resolution; this has been observed in an earlier study ( Brumfield et al, 2020b ). Microbial species reported to be closely associated with the gut microbiota of specific animal groups ( Puig et al, 1999 ; Buchan et al, 2001 ; Newton et al, 2013 ; Shanks et al, 2013 ; Harwood et al, 2017 ; Jebri et al, 2017 ) suggest WMS can be used to shed light on potential sources of fecal pollution. Viruses were detected in samples collected after a rainfall, with crAssphage exhibiting a strikingly similar pattern to the HF183/BacR287 qPCR genetic marker, showing a change between dry weather and post rainfall samples.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metagenomic Sequencing and Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Fecal Pollution Assessment in an Urban Watershed

et al. 2021

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Microbial contamination of recreation waters is a major concern globally, with pollutants originating from many sources, including human and other animal wastes often introduced during storm events. Fecal contamination is traditionally monitored by employing culture methods targeting fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), namely E. coli and enterococci, which provides only limited information of a few microbial taxa and no information on their sources. Host-associated qPCR and metagenomic DNA sequencing are complementary methods for FIB monitoring that can provide enhanced understanding of microbial communities and sources of fecal pollution. Whole metagenome sequencing (WMS), quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and culture-based FIB tests were performed in an urban watershed before and after a rainfall event to determine the feasibility and application of employing a multi-assay approach for examining microbial content of ambient source waters. Cultivated E. coli and enterococci enumeration confirmed presence of fecal contamination in all samples exceeding local single sample recreational water quality thresholds (E. coli, 410 MPN/100 mL; enterococci, 107 MPN/100 mL) following a rainfall. Test results obtained with qPCR showed concentrations of E. coli, enterococci, and human-associated genetic markers increased after rainfall by 1.52-, 1.26-, and 1.11-fold log10 copies per 100 mL, respectively. Taxonomic analysis of the surface water microbiome and detection of antibiotic resistance genes, general FIB, and human-associated microorganisms were also employed. Results showed that fecal contamination from multiple sources (human, avian, dog, and ruminant), as well as FIB, enteric microorganisms, and antibiotic resistance genes increased demonstrably after a storm event. In summary, the addition of qPCR and WMS to traditional surrogate techniques may provide enhanced characterization and improved understanding of microbial pollution sources in ambient waters.

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General and host-associated bacteriophage indicators of faecal pollution

Cited by 13 publications

References 130 publications

Evaluation of Low-Cost Phage-Based Microbial Source Tracking Tools for Elucidating Human Fecal Contamination Pathways in Kolkata, India

Evaluation of Low-Cost Phage-Based Microbial Source Tracking Tools for Elucidating Human Fecal Contamination Pathways in Kolkata, India

Bacteriophages Are Good Estimators of Human Viruses Present in Water

Metagenomic Sequencing and Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Fecal Pollution Assessment in an Urban Watershed

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