Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39201525›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2024

Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Zambia: An Early Warning Tool.

Doreen Mainza Shempela, Walter Muleya, Steward Mudenda, Victor Daka, Jay Sikalima, Mapeesho Kamayani, Dickson Sandala, Chilufya Chipango, Kapina Muzala, Kunda Musonda and 14 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Environmental surveillance of pathogens in Africa.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors.

Doreen Mainza ShempelaChurches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.ORCID 0009-0003-4945-6746
Walter MuleyaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Steward MudendaDepartment of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.ORCID 0000-0003-1692-8981
Victor DakaPublic Health Department, Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola 21692, Zambia.ORCID 0000-0001-9490-5609
Jay SikalimaChurches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.ORCID 0009-0001-8589-0676
Mapeesho KamayaniChurches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Dickson SandalaChurches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Chilufya ChipangoChurches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Kapina MuzalaZambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Kunda MusondaZambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Joseph Yamweka ChizimuZambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Chilufya MulengaZambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Otridah KaponaZambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Geoffrey KwendaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.ORCID 0000-0003-0151-8883
Maisa KasangaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1724-7934
Michael NjugunaGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), 1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
Fatim ChamGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), 1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
Bertha SimwakaGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), 1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
Linden MorrisonGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), 1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
John Bwalya MumaDepartment of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.ORCID 0000-0001-6180-4051
Ngonda SaasaDepartment of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Karen SichingaChurches Health Association of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Edgar SimulunduMacha Research Trust, Choma 20100, Zambia.ORCID 0000-0001-9423-0816
Roma ChilengiZambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Wastewater-based surveillance has emerged as an important method for monitoring the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater in Zambia. We conducted a longitudinal study in the Copperbelt and Eastern provinces of Zambia from October 2023 to December 2023 during which 155 wastewater samples were collected. The samples were subjected to three different concentration methods, namely bag-mediated filtration, skimmed milk flocculation, and polythene glycol-based concentration assays. Molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid was conducted using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Whole genome sequencing was conducted using Illumina COVIDSEQ assay. Of the 155 wastewater samples, 62 (40%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 13 sequences of sufficient length to determine SARS-CoV-2 lineages were obtained and 2 sequences were phylogenetically analyzed. Various Omicron subvariants were detected in wastewater including BA.5, XBB.1.45, BA.2.86, and JN.1. Some of these subvariants have been detected in clinical cases in Zambia. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis positioned a sequence from the Copperbelt Province in the B.1.1.529 clade, suggesting that earlier Omicron variants detected in late 2021 could still be circulating and may not have been wholly replaced by newer subvariants. This study stresses the need for integrating wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 into mainstream strategies for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 circulation in Zambia.

Indexed as

COVID-19PhylogenySARS-CoV-2WastewaterHumansLongitudinal StudiesWhole Genome SequencingZambiaWastewaterCOVID-19early warningSARS-CoV-2surveillancewastewaterZambia

Identifiers

PMID39201525
PMCPMC11354861

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.