Wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in a small coastal community: Effects of tourism on viral presence and variant identification among low prevalence populations

Andrew L Rainey; Julia C Loeb; Sarah E Robinson; John A Lednicky; John McPherson; Sue Colson; Michael Allen; Eric S Coker; Tara Sabo-Attwood; Anthony T Maurelli; Joseph H Bisesi Jr

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112496

Wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in a small coastal community: Effects of tourism on viral presence and variant identification among low prevalence populations

Environ Res. 2022 May 15:208:112496. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112496. Epub 2021 Dec 11.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
² Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
³ Cedar Key Water and Sewer District, Cedar Key, FL, 32625, USA.
⁴ Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce, Cedar Key, FL, 32625, USA.
⁵ Nature Coast Biological Station, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, 32625, USA.
⁶ Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
⁷ Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. Electronic address: amaurelli@phhp.ufl.edu.
⁸ Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA; Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. Electronic address: jbisesi@phhp.ufl.edu.

Abstract

Wastewater-based epidemiology has been used to measure SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in cities worldwide as an indicator of community health, however, few longitudinal studies have followed SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in small communities from the start of the pandemic or evaluated the influence of tourism on viral loads. Therefore the objective of this study was to use measurements of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater to monitor viral trends and variants in a small island community over a twelve-month period beginning May 1, 2020, before the community re-opened to tourists. Wastewater samples were collected weekly and analyzed to detect and quantify SARS-CoV-2 genome copies. Sanger sequencing was used to determine genome sequences from total RNA extracted from wastewater samples positive for SARS-CoV-2. Visitor data was collected from the local Chamber of Commerce. We performed Poisson and linear regression to determine if visitors to the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce were positively associated with SARS-CoV-2-positive wastewater samples and the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Results indicated that weekly wastewater samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 until mid-July when positive samples were recorded in four of five consecutive weeks. Additional positive results were recorded in November and December 2020, as well as January, March, and April 2021. Tourism data revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in wastewater increased by 1.06 Log₁₀ genomic copies/L per 100 tourists weekly. Sequencing from six positive wastewater samples yielded two complete sequences of SARS-CoV-2, two overlapping sequences, and two low yield sequences. They show arrival of a new variant SARS-CoV-2 in January 2021. Our results demonstrate the utility of wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in a small community. Wastewater surveillance and viral genome sequencing suggest that population mobility likely plays an important role in the introduction and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants among communities experiencing high tourism and who have a small population size.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Tourism; Variants; Wastewater-based epidemiology; Whole genome sequence.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Humans
Prevalence
RNA, Viral / genetics
SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
Tourism
Wastewater
Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring*

Substances

RNA, Viral
Waste Water

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants