CGPH FACULTY: Kara Nelson
DATE OF PUBLICATION: September 2013
REGION: Africa (Accra, Ghana)
REFERENCE: Silverman AI, Akrong MO, Amoah P, Drechsel P, Nelson KL. Quantification of human norovirus GII, human adenovirus, and fecal indicator organisms in wastewater used for irrigation in Accra, Ghana. J Water Health. 2013 Sep;11(3):473-88. doi: 10.2166/wh.2013.025.
SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is frequently used to estimate health risks associated with wastewater irrigation and requires pathogen concentration estimates as inputs. However, human pathogens, such as viruses, are rarely quantified in water samples, and simple relationships between fecal indicator bacteria and pathogen concentrations are used instead. To provide data that can be used to refine QMRA models of wastewater-fed agriculture in Accra, stream, drain, and waste stabilization pond waters used for irrigation were sampled and analyzed for concentrations of fecal indicator microorganisms (human-specific Bacteroidales, Escherichia coli, enterococci, thermotolerant coliform, and somatic and F+ coliphages) and two human viruses (adenovirus and norovirus genogroup II).
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