Study of waterborne virus detection schema in underserved rural communities with limited resources

Viral contamination of water is one of the most hazardous environmental problems in the world, the enrichment of techniques is necessary before detection, such as qPCR, the above problems have consequently become a challenge in rural areas with limited resources. This study used a combination of membrane separation virus enrichment and RT-ERA to create a process for virus detection in water, with the results displayed on a lateral flow strip. In this experiment, we demonstrated that RT-ERA could detect samples with as few as 10 copies. At the same time, membrane separation could enrich various target viruses in water to concentrations 60-70 folds higher. Under ideal conditions, 84 samples were tested by membrane separation enrichment. The entire procedure can be completed in 30 min and for a much lower cost. All tests were independently validated by a double-blind qPCR control test. In terms of enrichment and detection accuracy and sensitivity, our test is comparable to the Milliflex Plus Pump, CP Select, and qPCR methods used in the laboratory. The use of membrane separation water virus enrichment and RT-ERA for virus detection outdoors is described for the first time in this article. Our study provides technical support for viral surveillance in water environments in disadvantaged rural communities with limited resources and serves as a reference for monitoring a variety of microorganisms in other environments.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study developed a rapid and low-cost method for virus detection in water using membrane separation virus enrichment and RT-ERA technique. The results showed that RT-ERA could detect samples with as few as 10 copies, while membrane separation could enrich various target viruses in water to concentrations 60-70 folds higher. The entire procedure can be completed in 30 min and the test is comparable to the laboratory methods in terms of enrichment and detection accuracy and sensitivity.