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Virus communities with adverse human health risks found in groundwater below slums

Virus communities with adverse human health risks found in groundwater below slums. Dr. Jan Willem Foppen Associate Professor Hydrogeology at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Summary. Two years of research (2017, 2018) Virus DNA found in 31 water samples from various sources

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Virus communities with adverse human health risks found in groundwater below slums

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  1. Virus communities with adverse human health risks found in groundwater below slums • Dr. Jan Willem Foppen • Associate Professor Hydrogeology at • IHE Delft Institute for Water Education

  2. Summary Two years of research (2017, 2018) • Virus DNA found in 31 water samples from various sources • Three pilot slum areas, three cities, three countries in Africa New findings • We found viral DNA of 25 DNA virus families (~200,000 sequences) in groundwater • 14 of these families are from above ground hosts (frogs, mice, rats, cows, horses, monkeys, and humans) (~14,000 sequences) • Human host viruses in groundwater: papilloma, various herpes and pox (~4,000 sequences) Research implications & relevance • Limited knowledge of which pathogens can reside in groundwater systems (science) • Very long persistence of virus in these environments (science) • People using this water (large scale) are at risk (society) • Another (new) argument in the lack-of-good-sanitation discussion (society)

  3. Research methods

  4. Research methods Over 40 million DNA sequences read

  5. Viral DNA of above ground hosts in groundwater We found bacterial DNA, viral DNA, and unknown DNA • Viral DNA: 25 different virus-families,14 families from above ground hosts such as frogs, mice, rats, cows, horses, monkeys, and humans • New human pathogens detected in groundwater: herpes, papilloma, pox • Comparatively more above ground viral DNA in groundwater in Kampala, least in peri-urban Accra groundwaters • Limited above ground viral DNA in surface water sources. Mainly rat pox and goat related orf pox (can be transmitted to humans)

  6. Implications of our research • Groundwater system: virus storage reservoir • Some samples: long travel times. Persistent virus! • Limited knowledge of pathogens capable of residing in groundwater • ~70% of all DNA we found was not recognized

  7. Implications for people • Herpes, pox, and papilloma infections result in skin related diseases • Papillomavirus type we found in groundwater in Kampala can give rise to various types of cancer • In a spring (Arusha) DNA, which is very related to Monkey pox virus Zaire-96-I-16. Mortality of 1-10%

  8. Questions we still have • Are the virus particles still active? • Are there other viruses and harmful bacteria? • How can we improve sanitation and sources of drinking water, or both? Let’s do something about sanitation Let’s improve sources of drinking water In our project (T-GroUP) we experiment with transition management with local communities and authorities to collectively identify pathways towards a healthier environment

  9. Who made this possible? • Jack van de Vossenberg (1), Yvonne Hoiting(1), AlimamyKolipha Kamara (1), Manuel Kofi Tetteh(1), George Lutterodt (2), Hans Komakech (3), Robinah Kulabako (4), Philip Nyenje (4) • IHE Delft Institute for Water Education • Central University College, Accra, Ghana • Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania • MakerereUniversity, Kampala, Uganda

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