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Directorate for Development and Projects
Development of an early warning and notification system for spreading of gastroenteritis viruses, using wastewater-based epidemiology (2020-1.1.6-JÖVŐ-2021-00007)
Project ID: 2020-1.1.6-JÖVŐ-2021-00007
Project description:
Since last year keywords, like virology, pandemic, and tests have been the focus of scientific and public interest. Additional attention is paid to other viruses and their spread, independently of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gastroenteric viral shedding occurs in high copy numbers via human feces and urine. Moreover, it is linked to various human diseases like diarrhea, ophthalmic- and respiratory infections, hepatitis, myocarditis, or meningitis. The severity of the viral diseases depends on the infective dose of the given virus, the age, genetic background, general health-, immune- and nutritional status of the patient, and the efficiency of the healthcare system.
Within the framework of this project, the development of a monitoring system is planned to follow and detect gastroenteric virus concentration in communal and hospital wastewater. The intellectual and infrastructural background of Pannon University (Soós Ernő Research-and Development Center, Research Centre for Biochemical, Environmental and Chemical Engineering), University of Pécs (Szentágothai Research Center National Virology Laboratory), ASSECO Central Europe Hungary Corp. and MOL Corp. is utilized to accomplish the given tasks.
Four research-sections could be identified, as the development and coordination of the sampling protocol, adaptation-optimization of the sample concentration methodology, virus-specific quantitative nucleic acid detection, and development of the sampling and hospital information platform, that provides easy and inter-institutional access to the results.
To the best of our knowledge, there is no currently available, similar wastewater-based epidemiology-led, software-supported surveillance system in the service of the Hungarian healthcare system. Although the individual elements on their own, as wastewater-based virus detection or general hospital-information software, carry a lower degree of novelty.
During the project-work, a customizable sampling- and hospital information platform will be established that could be part of the quality assurance system, as a surface to monitor gastroenteric viral infection spread from various wastewaters. The targeted healthcare software-development is supported by wastewater-based epidemiological research so that the final data input is actual, non-simulated, information, and some parts of the system are validated in practice.
The monitoring system could provide extra preparation time for the healthcare system through early warning. And eventually, it could contribute to the suppression of gastrointestinal infections. Thereby it could disencumber the care system, allow cost saving on the national level, and indirectly the corporate sector could also gain profit by the potential lower frequency of sick-leave.
Project duration: 31.08.2021 – 31.07.2024
Total project cost: 435 913 233 HUF
Type of research: Research and development
Main applicant: University of Pannonia
Consortium partners: University of Pecs, ASSECO Central Europe Magyarország Zrt.
Professional leader: Dr. Galambos Ildikó
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Project manager: Zadravecz Renáta
Project manager's email address: