Detection and molecular characterization of enteroviruses in Al-Zarqa River, Jordan

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Qutaiba Omar Ababneh, Ismail Saadoun, Ziad W Jaradat, Ziad Al-Ghazawi, Jack Schijven and Harold van den Berg

University of Sharjah, UAE
Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan
National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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Al-Zarqa River is the second main tributary to River Jordan after Yarmouk River. The river flow has been modified by discharges of industrial wastewater and treated domestic water. Concerns about the presence of viruses in the surface waters of Al-Zarqa River prompted the analysis of virus occurrence in water environmental samples collected from and around the river. Viruses were concentrated from river water, raw sewage and treated domestic water samples. Calculated recovery yield for the concentration methods ranged between 2% and 8%. A total of 33 samples were examined for the presence of Enteroviruses (EVs) by means of RT-PCR and southern blotting hybridization. EVs were detected in 14 (42%) of the samples. The concentrations of EVs ranged between 6.3 and 3.3×103 pdu/ml with a mean of 2.5×103 pdu/ml in raw sewage. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the 5’ non-coding region sequences revealed the frequent detection of coxsackievirus B4 in Al-Zarqa River. EV serotyping and phylogenetic analysis enabled us to trace back the source of viral contamination in some samples.

Biography

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Email: qutaiba.ababneh@gmail.com