Real-time PCR quantitative assessment of hepatitis A virus, rotaviruses and enteroviruses in the Tyume River located in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

We applied real-time RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) to assess the incidence of hepatitis A virus, rotaviruses and enteroviruses in the Tyume River, an important water resource in the impoverished Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Detection of noroviruses was done using conventional semi-nested RT-PCR. Water samples were collected once monthly from 6 sampling sites over a 12-month period starting in August 2010 and ending in July 2011. Hepatitis A virus was detected in 13% of the samples in concentrations ranging between 1.67×10 3 genome copies/ℓ and 1.64×104 genome copies/ℓ while rotaviruses were detected in 4% of the samples with concentrations ranging from 9×10 1 genome copies/ℓ to 5.64×103 genome copies/ℓ. Enteroviruses were not detected in any of the samples, while noroviruses were detected in 4% of the samples. All hepatitis A and rotaviruses positive samples were from the upstream sections of Tyume River while noro viruses were detected in samples from downstream sections only.

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