RT Journal Article
T1 SARS-CoV-2 in river water: Implications in low sanitation countries
A1 Guerrero-Latorre, Laura
A1 Ballesteros Redondo, María Isabel
A1 Villacrés-Granda, Irina
A1 Granda, Genoveva
A1 Freire-Paspuel, Byron
A1 Ríos-Touma, Blanca
AB Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic studies on viral shedding have reported that this virus is excreted in feces in most patients. High viral loads are found at the sewage pipeline or at the entrance of wastewater treatment plants from cities where the number of COVID-19 cases are significant. In Quito (Ecuador) as in many other cities worldwide, wastewater is directly discharged into natural waters. The aim of this study was to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 presence in urban streams from a low sanitation context. Three river locations along the urban rivers of Quito were sampled on the 5th of June during a peak of COVID-19 cases. River samples were evaluated for water quality parameters and afterwards, concentrated for viral analysis using skimmed milk flocculation method. The viral concentrates were quantified for SARS-CoV-2 (N1 and N2 target regions) and Human Adenovirus as a human viral indicator. The results showed that SARS-CoV-2 was detected for both target regions in all samples analyzed in a range of 2,91E+05 to 3,19E+06 GC/L for N1 and from 2,07E+05 to 2,22E+06 GC/L for N2. The high values detected in natural waters from a low sanitation region have several implications in health and ecology that should be further assessed.
PB Elsevier
SN 0048-9697
YR 2020
FD 2020


LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/102651
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/102651
LA eng
NO Guerrero-Latorre, Laura, et al. «SARS-CoV-2 in River Water: Implications in Low Sanitation Countries». Science of The Total Environment, vol. 743, noviembre de 2020, p. 140832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140832.
NO Universidad de Las Américas 
NO Banco del Pichincha
DS Docta Complutense
RD 8 abr 2025