2024 Volume 80 Issue 12 Article ID: 23-00304
For the utilization of the wastewater surveillance to understand the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the catchment area, it is necessary to apply an efficient sample collection method according to the regional characteristics and epidemic situations. A long-term monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in the wastewater was conducted using passive samplers made of a cotton ball for eight months from September 2022 to May 2023 in Ube City, Yamaguchi Pref. Significant correlation (correlation coefficient R=0.75) was obtained between the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in passive samples and the estimated number of cases within 6 days of onset. The quantifiable concentration data from the passive sampler suggested the possibility of early detection 5 to 6 days prior to the epidemic situation at the catchment area compared with the information from sentinel surveillance.
