Human adenoviruses (HAdV) are a prevalent cause of diarrhea in children all over the world. Adenoviral infections are responsible for 2% to 10% of diarrheic cases. A long-term investigation was required to gain better knowledge about the incidence of HAdV in Egypt. Herein, we conducted 5 years of detection, isolation, and genotyping of HAdV in fecal and sewage samples from 2016 to 2020, in Cairo, Egypt using molecular and cell culture assays. Human adenoviruses were identified in 35 of 447 fecal samples (7.8%), but only 53.3% (64/120) of the sewage samples. Children under the age of two had the highest positive rate for HAdV infection (77.1%). Species F of HAdV was the most common prevalent genotype in fecal and sewage samples, at 88.5% and 85.9%, respectively. The most prevalent genotypes detected in fecal samples were HAdV-41 (71.2%), HAdV-40 (17.2%), HAdV-6 (5.7%), and HAdV-1 (5.7%). In contrast, the most common genotypes in sewage samples were HAdV-41 (64%), HAdVs-40 (21.8%), HAdV-6 (7.8%), HAdV-1 (4.7%), and HAdV-2 (1.6%). HAdV was detected in all months of the year, with a peak period for clinical samples from December to February (p < 0.001), which matched Egypt’s rainy season, while the monthly distribution of HAdV in sewage samples remained consistent throughout the year, with no statistically significant peak period. Interestingly, the HAdV-type 41 genotype was the most common genotype during all of the years of this study. Throughout a 5-year period, our work revealed the infection rate, seasonal distribution, virus isolates, and genetic diversity of HAdV infections in environmental and clinical samples in Cairo, Egypt. Non-enteric adenovirus types (1, 2 and 6), as well as enteric adenovirus (41 and 40), may play a key role in gastroenteritis in Egypt.

Foodborne viruses can transmit through food in lots of ways including consuming items of animal origin containing zoonotic viruses, consuming contaminated food handled by infected food workers, and consuming contaminated food produced by humans. Viral foodborne illnesses are now a major contributor to all foodborne illness reports in recent years and are seen as a rising issue to the public health of humans and animals. Noroviruses and hepatitis A viruses were shown to be predominantly linked to the food-handler transmission and sewage-contaminated foods, according to microbiological research. In order to facilitate source attribution and identify risk preventive measures, routine, standard surveillance of viral outbreaks, and surveillance of virus occurrence in food products, combined with systematic strain typing, food and clinical microbiologists, would be advocated.

Polluted seafood is a common mean of the transmission of foodborne viruses, such as rotavirus, hepatitis A virus, and astrovirus. Eating shellfish harvested from waters polluted with sewage has been associated with several viral foodborne outbreaks. The goal of the current study was to determine the prevalence of rotavirus, hepatitis A virus, and astrovirus in shrimp and Arca noae samples, collected from the local market in Damanhur City, Egypt. Samples of a hundred and twenty Arca noae and shrimp were examined. The RT- PCR was used to detect the predefined foodborne viruses. The current data confirmed that enteric viruses were detected in eleven out of 120 samples, but did not report astrovirus in any of the collected samples. RV and HAV were detected in 2/ 60 (3.3%), 2/ 60 (3.3%) of the shrimp samples and in 4/ 60 (6.6%), 3/60 (5%) of Arca noae samples, respectively. This study indicates that eating Arca noae in a raw condition, without any preparation, poses a serious public health risk since it can spread infections to food handlers and fishermen. In contrast, shrimp are usually cooked. Our research demonstrates that Arca noae and shrimp are contaminated with viruses, highlighting the necessity of virological monitoring programs to guarantee the safety and quality of shellfish for human consumption, as well as serving as an invaluable surveillance tool to track new viral strains and emerging viruses.

Water is one of the most important environmental elements for all living creatures on earth. Attention to water quality is essential to maintaining ecosystems and life; consideration for this issue has increased on a global scale. Wastewater has a significant impact on public health because it reflects society’s progress. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) has become a popular surveillance technique, especially in regions that are more vulnerable, for early outbreak detection, trend tracking of infectious diseases, and real-time insights. WBE provides a thorough insight into community health and lifestyle behaviors by assisting in the tracking of pathogens, including viruses, in sewage and recreational water. Monitoring viral infections at the community level requires the use of WBE, which acts as supplemental surveillance. Nonetheless, there exists an unexplored possibility for WBE to broaden its function in monitoring public health. In order to understand the connection between viral surveillance in wastewater and public health, this study highlights the significance of drinking water safety regulations and WBE, emphasizing the necessity for its further integration into public health management, and summarizes the waterborne viruses that cause health risks to public health, and their pathogenicity. We can conclude that we must search for viral indicators and we must include a virological method in guidelines of water quality in order to protect public health.