Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, using four RT-qPCR assays

Yannan Huang; Lindsay Johnston; Ana Parra; Crystal Sweeney; Emalie Hayes; Lisbeth Truelstrup Hansen; Graham Gagnon; Amina Stoddart; Rob Jamieson

doi:10.1139/facets-2021-0026

FACETS (Jan 2021)

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, using four RT-qPCR assays

Yannan Huang,
Lindsay Johnston,
Ana Parra,
Crystal Sweeney,
Emalie Hayes,
Lisbeth Truelstrup Hansen,
Graham Gagnon,
Amina Stoddart,
Rob Jamieson

Affiliations

Yannan Huang: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Lindsay Johnston: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Ana Parra: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Crystal Sweeney: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Emalie Hayes: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Lisbeth Truelstrup Hansen: National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Graham Gagnon: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Amina Stoddart: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
Rob Jamieson: Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2021-0026
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 1
pp. 959 – 965

Abstract

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Wastewater-based surveillance methods have been implemented in several countries as a tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 at a community scale. A variety of methods have been used for concentrating, extracting, and detecting the virus, with no clear consensus on the most effective approach. In this note, we report preliminary findings from a study that is tracking SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a specific focus on the use of four reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assays for detecting the virus in wastewater. We were able to detect the virus in wastewater samples during the initial rise of cases in the Halifax region in early November 2020. Levels of the targeted SARS-CoV-2 gene fragments increased and fell in response to reported cases of COVID-19. The CDC N1 and E RT-qPCR assays demonstrated greater relative sensitivity than the CDC N2 and N3 assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in raw sewage samples.

Published in FACETS

ISSN: 2371-1671 (Online)
Publisher: Canadian Science Publishing
Country of publisher: Canada
LCC subjects: Education; Science
Website: http://www.facetsjournal.com/

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