tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Front Public Health
. 2025 Aug 14:13:1640581.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1640581. eCollection 2025. Temporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater and population infection trends in Mexico City
Miguel Atl Silva-Magaña[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Marisa Mazari-Hiriart[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Adalberto Noyola[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Ana C Espinosa-García[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Guillermo de Anda-Jáuregui[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Enrique Hernández-Lemus[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides a non-invasive, community-level approach to monitor infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This study investigated the temporal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater and reported COVID-19 cases in adjacent populations in Mexico City. A total of 40 samples were collected from the Copilco neighborhood during two epidemiological waves (April-September 2021 and November 2021-February 2022). An optimized one-step RT-qPCR protocol targeting the N1 gene achieved 96.7% efficiency with a detection limit of 10 copies/μL. Spatial classification identified three proximity zones based on drainage system topology. Cross-correlation analysis between viral genome copies and confirmed case data revealed a significant temporal lag of 6-8 days. These results support the application of WBE as an early-warning tool to inform public health strategies and anticipate infection trends.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV2; early signals; predictive models; temporal dynamics; waste-water based epidemiology.
. 2025 Aug 14:13:1640581.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1640581. eCollection 2025. Temporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater and population infection trends in Mexico City
Miguel Atl Silva-Magaña[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Marisa Mazari-Hiriart[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Adalberto Noyola[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Ana C Espinosa-García[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Guillermo de Anda-Jáuregui[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Enrique Hernández-Lemus[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 40893198
- PMCID: PMC12391079
- DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1640581
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides a non-invasive, community-level approach to monitor infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This study investigated the temporal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater and reported COVID-19 cases in adjacent populations in Mexico City. A total of 40 samples were collected from the Copilco neighborhood during two epidemiological waves (April-September 2021 and November 2021-February 2022). An optimized one-step RT-qPCR protocol targeting the N1 gene achieved 96.7% efficiency with a detection limit of 10 copies/μL. Spatial classification identified three proximity zones based on drainage system topology. Cross-correlation analysis between viral genome copies and confirmed case data revealed a significant temporal lag of 6-8 days. These results support the application of WBE as an early-warning tool to inform public health strategies and anticipate infection trends.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV2; early signals; predictive models; temporal dynamics; waste-water based epidemiology.