RAPID: Hydrologic control on SARS-CoV-2 transfer to streams

随着新型冠状病毒在全球造成重大破坏，迫切需要了解接触源、环境流行率和减轻传播的方法。虽然大多数工作的重点是直接人际传播或室内间接传播，但环境暴露可能发挥重要作用。对过去冠状病毒和其他致病性病毒的研究表明，它们可以从废水输入进入溪流和河流，特别是在风暴事件期间。有证据表明，污水中存在新型冠状病毒，也被称为SARS-Cov-2，冠状病毒可以在水系统中存活数天。这项研究将促进对受该病毒影响的城市地区SARS-CoV-2向河流网络及其沿线转移的理解。该项目将调查康涅狄格州受病毒影响地区的溪流和河流，以检测SARS-CoV-2的发生，并评估病毒在环境中的传播机制。该项目将进一步培训和准备学生在具有挑战性的环境下进行快速反应研究。这项工作的主要目标是了解SARS-CoV-2在受病毒影响的地区向流网络的转移。特别是，假设导致下水道溢流（CSO）和污水处理厂溢流（WWTP）的重大降雨事件将出现SARS-CoV-2浓度峰值。因此，在这些高转移期间，任何特定病原体对人类或生态的影响都有可能增加。将从两种不同类型的系统中收集样本。第一组将来自一些较小的溪流/河流，以评估向河流网络的转移。这些溪流和河流将根据CSO和WWTP溢出事件的历史来选择。将对一个森林地区进行抽样，作为这组地点的对照。第二组地点将在康涅狄格河的主干，像世界上许多河流一样，有一个城市中心（哈特福德/斯普林菲尔德）在靠近海岸的河流两侧。这种共同的地理位置导致污水处理厂的污水大量流入河流的主干，而到海岸的距离很短。康涅狄格河的样本将在这个城市中心的上游、市中心内和任何城市影响的下游收集。在接下来的2-3个月里，样本将主要在较小的溪流/河流系统的大水文事件（1-2英寸的降水）中收集，但更频繁地沿着康涅狄格河干流站点收集。将使用qPCR、DNA和RNA噬菌体和病毒、污水处理厂和CSO出水的化学标记物以及一套标准水质参数对样品进行SARS-CoV-2分析，以记录收集期间的现场条件。该提案整合了一个跨学科团队，将扩大我们在水文框架下对SARS-CoV-2流行情况的理解。该项目将支持4个系的5名学生，从而提供与快速反应研究和科学相关的跨学科培训。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the novel coronavirus causing major disruptions globally, there is an immediate need to understand sources of exposure, environmental prevalence and approaches for mitigation of transmission. While most work has focused on direct human-to-human transmission or indirect transmission indoors, environmental exposure could play an important role. Work on past Coronaviruses and other pathogenic viruses has demonstrated that they can reach streams and rivers from wastewater inputs, particularly during storm events. Evidence shows that the novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-Cov-2, is present in sewage and coronaviruses can survive in water systems for days. This study will advance understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transfer to and along stream networks in an urban region impacted by the virus. This project will survey streams and rivers in areas of Connecticut impacted by the virus to test for the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 and assess mechanisms for the spread of the virus in the environment. The project will further train and prepare students on rapid-response research under challenging circumstances. A primary objective of this work is to understand the transfer of SARS-CoV-2 to stream networks in a region impacted by the virus. In particular, it is hypothesized that major rain events leading to combined sewer overflow (CSO) and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) overflow will have peak concentrations of SARS-CoV-2. The human or ecological impact of any particular pathogen will thus have the potential to be elevated during these periods of high transfer. Samples will be collected from two different types of systems. The first set will be from a number of smaller streams/rivers to assess transfers to the stream network. These streams and rivers will be chosen based on a history of CSO and WWTP overflow events. Sampling of a forested area will be included as a control for this set of sites. The second set of sites will be on the mainstem of the Connecticut River, which, like many rivers worldwide, has an urban center (Hartford/Springfield) flanking the river near the coast. This common geography leads to a large input of WWTP effluent on the mainstem of the river, with a short travel distance to the coast. Samples from the Connecticut River will be collected upstream of this urban center, within the city center, and downstream of any urban influence. Samples will be mostly collected during large hydrologic events (1-2 inches of precipitation) in the smaller stream/river systems over the next 2-3 months, but more frequently along the Connecticut River main-stem sites. Samples will be analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 using qPCR, DNA and RNA bacteriophages and viruses, chemical markers of WWTP and CSO effluent and a standard suite of standard water quality parameters to document the in-situ conditions during collection. This proposal integrates an interdisciplinary team that will broaden our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence under a hydrologic framework. The project will support five students across four departments, thus providing interdisciplinary training related to rapid response research and science.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.