Viruses could be harder to kill after adapting to warm environments


Date:
September 2, 2020
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
Enteroviruses and other pathogenic viruses that make their
way into surface waters can be inactivated by heat, sunshine
and other microbes, thereby reducing their ability to spread
disease. But researchers report that global warming could cause
viruses to evolve, rendering them less susceptible to these and
other disinfectants, such as chlorine.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Enteroviruses and other pathogenic viruses that make their way into
surface waters can be inactivated by heat, sunshine and other microbes,
thereby reducing their ability to spread disease. But researchers report
in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology that global warming could
cause viruses to evolve, rendering them less susceptible to these and
other disinfectants, such as chlorine.


========================================================================== Enteroviruses can cause infections as benign as a cold or as dangerous
as polio. Found in feces, they are released into the environment from
sewage and other sources. Their subsequent survival depends on their
ability to withstand the environmental conditions they encounter. Because globalization and climate change are expected to alter those conditions,
Anna Carratala`, Tamar Kohn and colleagues wanted to find out how viruses
might adapt to such shifts and how this would affect their disinfection resistance.

The team created four different populations of a human enterovirus by incubating samples in lake water in flasks at 50 F or 86 F, with or
without simulated sunlight. The researchers then exposed the viruses
to heat, simulated sunlight or microbial "grazing" and found that warm-water-adapted viruses were more resistant to heat inactivation than cold-water-adapted ones. Little or no difference was observed among the
four strains in terms of their inactivation when exposed to either more simulated sunlight or other microbes. When transplanted to cool water, warm-water-adapted viruses also remained active longer than the cool-water strains. In addition, they withstood chlorine exposure better. In
sum, adaptation to warm conditions decreased viral susceptibility to inactivation, so viruses in the tropics or in regions affected by global warming could become tougher to eliminate by chlorination or heating,
the researchers say. They also say that this greater hardiness could
increase the length of time heat-adapted viruses would be infectious
enough to sicken someone who comes in contact with contaminated water.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Chemical_Society. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Anna Carratala`, Virginie Bachmann, Timothy R. Julian, Tamar Kohn.

Adaptation of Human Enterovirus to Warm Environments Leads to
Resistance against Chlorine Disinfection. Environmental Science &
Technology, 2020; DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03199 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200902082345.htm

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