Detection of Enteroviruses within Brackish Water from the Damshui River Watershed, Taiwan

Abstract

Enteroviruses have recently emerged as a concern to health authorities because they are a waterborne nonbacterial cause of gastroenteritis. Forty-six samples of brackish water from two sites upon the Damshui River, Taiwan, were analyzed for the occurrence and serogroups of enteroviruses. The seminested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used for detecting enteroviruses. Six of the 23 water samples from one site and eight from the other site tested positive for enteroviruses. Detection results were identified by the nucleic acid sequencing method. Five serogroups of enteroviruses were identified as coxsackievirus A2, coxsackievirus A6, echovirus 11, enterovirus 71, and porcine enterovirus 9. The occurrence of enteroviruses within the water samples shows significant correlations with the occurrence of enterococci and low water temperatures.