Development of a detection method for human enteric viruses in sewage

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18141
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Civil and environmental engineering
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Kazama Shinobu 東北大学, 未来科学技術共同研究センター, 助教 (20749444)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ヒト腸管系ウイルス / メタゲノム / 下水 / 次世代シーケンサー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The presence of human enteric viruses in sewage reflects the occurrence of infectious gastroenteritis in human population. To enhance efficiency of detecting human viruses in sewage, a detection method targeting human enteric viruses in sewage was developed. As a result, the rates of the human virus genome obtained from the developed method (targeted human viruses.) was 40-1000 times higher than that obtained from a method which targeted all virus genomes. Six unclassified viruses were detected, which have not been reported in Japan. This method succeeded in detecting human virus in sewage efficiently, and will be helpful to understand the distribution of enteric viruses including rare and unclassified viruses in human population.

Free Research Field

環境工学