In highly populated areas, environmental surveillance of wastewater and surface waters is a key factor to control the circulation of viruses and risks for public health. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 is considered as an emerging pathogen in industrialized countries. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the prevalence of HEV in environmental waters in urban and suburban regions in Germany. HEV was monitored in water samples using quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and nested RT-PCR without or with virus concentration via polyethylene glycol precipitation or ultracentrifugation. By RT-qPCR, 84–100% of influent samples of wastewater treatment plants were positive for HEV RNA. Genotypes HEV-3c and 3f were identified in wastewater, with HEV-3c being the most prevalent genotype. These data correlate with subtypes identified earlier in patients from the same area. Comparison of wastewater influent and effluent samples revealed a reduction of HEV RNA of about 1 log₁₀ during passage through wastewater treatment plants. In addition, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) after heavy rainfalls were shown to release HEV RNA into surface waters. About 75% of urban river samples taken during these CSO events were positive for HEV RNA by RT-qPCR. In contrast, under normal weather conditions, only around 30% of river samples and 15% of samples from a bathing water located at an urban river were positive for HEV. Median concentrations of HEV RNA of all tested samples at this bathing water were below the limit of detection.

中文翻译：

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德国废水和城市地表水中戊型肝炎病毒基因型 3 的检测和表征。


在人口稠密地区，废水和地表水的环境监测是控制病毒传播和公共卫生风险的关键因素。戊型肝炎病毒 (HEV) 基因型 3 被认为是工业化国家的新兴病原体。因此，本研究旨在确定德国城市和郊区环境水中 HEV 的流行情况。通过聚乙二醇沉淀或超速离心，使用定量 RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) 和巢式 RT-PCR 监测水样中的 HEV，无论是否含有病毒浓度。通过 RT-qPCR，废水处理厂 84-100% 的进水样品 HEV RNA 呈阳性。在废水中鉴定出 HEV-3c 和 3f 基因型，其中 HEV-3c 是最常见的基因型。这些数据与早期在同一地区患者中发现的亚型相关。废水进水和出水样品的比较显示，在通过废水处理厂期间，HEV RNA 减少了约 1 log ₁₀ 。此外，强降雨后的合流下水道溢流 (CSO) 也会将 HEV RNA 释放到地表水中。 RT-qPCR 检测显示，在这些 CSO 事件期间采集的城市河流样本中，约 75% 的 HEV RNA 呈阳性。相比之下，在正常天气条件下，只有约 30% 的河流样本和 15% 的城市河流沐浴水样本呈 HEV 阳性。所有测试样品在此沐浴水中的 HEV RNA 中位浓度均低于检测限。