Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 genomic populations on a country-wide scale through targeted sequencing.

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance of viral populations in wastewater samples is recognized as a useful tool for monitoring epidemic waves and boosting health preparedness. Next generation sequencing of viral RNA isolated from wastewater is a convenient and cost-effective strategy to understand the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and provide insights on the population dynamics of viral variants at the community level. However, in low- and middle-income countries, isolated groups have performed wastewater monitoring and data has not been extensively shared in the scientific community. Here we report the results of monitoring the co-circulation and abundance of variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2 in Uruguay, a small country in Latin America, between November 2020-July 2021 using wastewater surveillance. RNA isolated from wastewater was characterized by targeted sequencing of the Receptor Binding Domain region within the spike gene. Two computational approaches were used to track the viral variants. The results of the wastewater analysis showed the transition in the overall predominance of viral variants in wastewater from No-VOCs to successive VOCs, in agreement with clinical surveillance from sequencing of nasal swabs. The mutations K417T, E484K and N501Y, that characterize the Gamma VOC, were detected as early as December 2020, several weeks before the first clinical case was reported. Interestingly, a non-synonymous mutation described in the Delta VOC, L452R, was detected at a very low frequency since April 2021 when using a recently described sequence analysis tool (SAM Refiner). Wastewater NGS-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is a reliable and complementary tool for monitoring the introduction and prevalence of VOCs at a community level allowing early public health decisions. This approach allows the tracking of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, who are generally under-reported in countries with limited clinical testing capacity. Our results suggests that wastewater-based epidemiology can contribute to improving public health responses in low- and middle-income countries.

Detection and genome characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 P.6 lineage in dogs and cats living with Uruguayan COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in domestic animals have occurred from the beginning of the pandemic to the present time. Therefore, from the perspective of One Health, investigating this topic is of global scientific and public interest. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic animals whose owners had coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Nasopharyngeal and faecal samples were collected in Uruguay. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), we analysed the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Complete genomes were obtained using ARTIC enrichment and Illumina sequencing. Sera samples were used for virus neutralisation assays. FINDINGS: SARS-CoV-2 was detected in an asymptomatic dog and a cat. Viral genomes were identical and belonged to the P.6 Uruguayan SARS-CoV-2 lineage. Only antiserum from the infected cat contained neutralising antibodies against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and showed cross-reactivity against the Delta but not against the B.A.1 Omicron variant. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Domestic animals and the human SARS-CoV-2 P.6 variant comparison evidence a close relationship and gene flow between them. Different SARS-CoV-2 lineages infect dogs and cats, and no specific variants are adapted to domestic animals. This first record of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic animals from Uruguay supports regular surveillance of animals close to human hosts.

COVID-19 in Latin America and the caribbean region: Symptoms and morbidities in the epidemiology of infection.

The COVID-19 pandemic has widespread economic and social effects on Latin America (LA) and the Caribbean (CA). This region, which has a high prevalence of chronic diseases, has been one of the most affected during the pandemic. Multiple symptoms and comorbidities are related to distinct COVID-19 outcomes. However, there has been no explanation as to why different patients present with different arrays of clinical presentations. Studies report that similar to comorbidities, each country in LA and the CA has its own particular health issues. Moreover, economic and social features have yet to be studied in detail to obtain a complete perspective of the disease in the region. Herein, the impact of demographic and economic characteristics in LA and the CA on COVID-19 are presented in combination with symptoms and comorbidities related to the disease as important aspects that can influence management and treatment.

IV Seminario Internacional del Jabalí – Edición Frontera

The European wild boar was introduced in Uruguay in the mid1920s, then spread to the rest of the country and reached the border with Brazil. Hybridization with specimens of feral domestic pigs increased their size and aggressiveness. Due to the damages they cause, wild boar and feral pigs were declared a National Plague in 1982 and Plague of Agriculture in 2004. The negative impact of wild boars is an old and complex problem and if progress is to be made in the control of this invasive species, it must be addressed in an interinstitutional, interdisciplinary and necessarily involving border countries. Since 2010, sanitary surveillance has been systematically performed and in 2016 conferences began to be held on the UruguayBrazil border. First from a regional perspective and then it was opened to international academic forums and health agencies. In 2019 the proJAB, a research group involving professionals from Facultad de Ciencias y Facultad de Veterinaria, was established at the Universidad de la República in Uruguay (UdelarR). proJAB maintains permanent links with government agencies, teaching and research institutions, and hunters and producers associations. This year, the 4th conference was held in December 34, in a webinar format due to the sanitary emergency generated by COVID19. The conference was named "IV International Wild Boar Seminar Border Edition" and the virtual headquarters were set in the city of Rivera (Uruguay), bordering Brazil, in order to continue the dynamics of the predecessor events. Lecturers were technicians and professionals from Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and Uruguay. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] El jabalí europeo fue introducido en Uruguay a mediados de la década de 1920, luego se difundió al resto del país y llegó a la frontera con Brasil La hibridación con ejemplares de cerdos domésticos asilvestrados aumentó su tamaño y agresividad. Por los perjuicios ocasionados fue declarado Plaga Nacional en 1982 y Plaga de la Agricultura en 2004. La complejidad y antigüedad de esta problemática hace que deba abordarse en forma interinstitucional, interdisciplinaria y transfronteriza, si quiere avanzarse en el control de la especie. Desde 2010 se desarrolla sistemáticamente la vigilancia sanitaria y en 2016 comenzaron a realizarse Jornadas en la frontera UruguayBrasil, primero de carácter regional y luego internacional. En 2019 se creó en la UDELAR (Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay) el grupo PROJAB, integrado por las Facultades de Ciencias y Veterinaria, que mantiene vínculos permanentes con organismos de gobierno, instituciones de enseñanza e investigación y Asociaciones de cazadores y productores. Este año se realizaron las cuartas jornadas mediante plataforma zoom, debido a la situación sanitaria generada por el COVID19. Llevaron por nombre “IV Seminario Internacional del Jabalí – Edición Frontera” y se fijó la sede virtual en la ciudad de Rivera (Uruguay), limítrofe con Brasil, para mantener la dinámica de los eventos antecesores. Disertaron técnicos y profesionales de Alemania, Argentina, Brasil, España y Uruguay, pertenecientes a distintas instituciones. (Spanish) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Suiform Soundings is the property of IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

LUCIA: An open source device for disinfection of N95 masks using UV-C radiation.

Faced with a global pandemic such as the one triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the medical supply chain has been highly demanded. An item in which this manifested itself more clearly, are the N95 masks, designed to be disposable items, in many cases they have had to be reused. In these emergency conditions, it was necessary to apply an effective and safe method that can be used locally. Here a device for disinfection by ultraviolet C light was developed that allows irradiating N95 masks with a known and reproducible dose. Thus being able to apply a safe and effective disinfection method according to existing information. The use of a common model of UV-C lamps and the simple construction of the device allows it to be built at low cost and with widely available materials. The effectiveness of the device was demonstrated against an enveloped RNA virus, characteristics shared with the virus that causes COVID19, being capable of reducing the viral load by 4 orders of magnitude.