Monitoring emergence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Variant through the Spanish National SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance System (VATar COVID-19) from December 2020 to March 2021
Background Since its first identification in the United Kingdom in late 2020, the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, become dominant in several European countries raising great concern. Aim The aim of this study was to develop a duplex real-time RT-qPCR assay to detect, discriminate and quantitate SARS-CoV-2 variants containing one of its mutation signatures, the ΔHV69/70 deletion, to trace the community circulation of the B.1.1.7 variant in Spain through the Spanish National SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance System (VATar COVID-19). Results B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in sewage from the Southern city of Málaga (Andalucía) in week 20_52, and multiple introductions during Christmas holidays were inferred in different parts of the country, earlier than clinical epidemiological reporting by the local authorities. Wastewater-based B.1.1.7 tracking showed a good correlation with clinical data and provided information at the local level. Data from WWTPs which reached B.1.1.7 prevalences higher than 90% for ≥ 2 consecutive weeks showed that 8.1±1.8 weeks were required for B.1.1.7 to become dominant. Conclusion The study highlights the applicability of RT-qPCR-based strategies to track specific mutations of variants of concern (VOCs) as soon as they are identified by clinical sequencing, and its integration into existing wastewater surveillance programs, as a cost-effective approach to complement clinical testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | preprint biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MedRxiv
2021-05-30
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/242979 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002809 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001872 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100010801 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003339 |
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| Summary: | Background Since its first identification in the United Kingdom in late 2020, the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, become dominant in several European countries raising great concern.
Aim The aim of this study was to develop a duplex real-time RT-qPCR assay to detect, discriminate and quantitate SARS-CoV-2 variants containing one of its mutation signatures, the ΔHV69/70 deletion, to trace the community circulation of the B.1.1.7 variant in Spain through the Spanish National SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance System (VATar COVID-19).
Results B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in sewage from the Southern city of Málaga (Andalucía) in week 20_52, and multiple introductions during Christmas holidays were inferred in different parts of the country, earlier than clinical epidemiological reporting by the local authorities. Wastewater-based B.1.1.7 tracking showed a good correlation with clinical data and provided information at the local level. Data from WWTPs which reached B.1.1.7 prevalences higher than 90% for ≥ 2 consecutive weeks showed that 8.1±1.8 weeks were required for B.1.1.7 to become dominant.
Conclusion The study highlights the applicability of RT-qPCR-based strategies to track specific mutations of variants of concern (VOCs) as soon as they are identified by clinical sequencing, and its integration into existing wastewater surveillance programs, as a cost-effective approach to complement clinical testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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