Identificación de los efectos que causa la contaminación de agua por virus emergentes en la salud humana

Abstract

Water contamination and the presence of pathogenic viruses in it affect people´s health, causing various diseases that can be transmitted mainly to children and the elderly. One of the diseases that most affects the population due to the consumption of water contaminated by enteric viruses is diarrhea. The objective of this work is to identify, through a bibliographic review, the main viruses present in contaminated water and their effects on human health. The main pathogenic viruses that can be acquired through the ingestion of contaminated water are Enterovirus, Adenovirus, Norovirus, Astrovirus, Hepatitis A virus and Hepatitis E virus, being the main route of fecal-oral transmission through the consumption of contaminated water or food. The methods used for virus analysis in water are virus concentration methods, such as: virus concentration by organic flocculation, filtration-elution, ultracentrifugation, ultrafiltration, and detection methods, conventional polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcription followed by conventional PCR. In conclusion, virus detection methods have evolved over the years, improving analysis techniques; however, it is necessary to consider new alternatives to prevent diseases caused by contaminated water.