Researchers from UTHealth Houston and Baylor College of Medicine have discovered the Avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, which has spread to cattle and caused infections in 14 individuals this year, through virome sequencing in the wastewater of ten cities in Texas. The term “virome” refers to the array of viruses present in a specific sample, in this case, wastewater.
This finding was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Prior to March 2024, the H5N1 virus had not been detected in 1,337 wastewater samples reviewed by the research team. However, data collected between March 4 and July 15 revealed H5N1’s presence in all ten cities, across 22 out of 23 testing locations, and in 100 of the 399 analyzed samples. Notably, the levels of H5N1 in the wastewater did not show a direct link to hospitalizations caused by influenza during the same time frame, indicating a very low risk to public health.
The wastewater testing initiative was established by UTHealth Houston and Baylor as part of the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI).
The method employed by the researchers can identify genetic variations that may suggest the virus is adapting to mammals, including possibly humans. The absence of significant clinical cases among humans and the genetic data indicated that the detected virus in the wastewater was likely of animal origin. Nevertheless, the researchers emphasized that ongoing surveillance is vital to monitor any evolutionary changes that could enable the virus to infect humans.
Key contributors to the journal publication included Michael J. Tisza, PhD, assistant professor at Baylor; Blake Hanson, PhD, assistant professor at the Center for Infectious Diseases at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health; Eric Boerwinkle, PhD, director of TEPHI; and Anthony W. Maresso, PhD, a virology chair at Baylor. Boerwinkle and Hanson are affiliated with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
The team employs a viral probe capture method that can identify thousands of viral species or variants in wastewater. Since May 2022, TEPHI has discovered over 400 viruses affecting humans and animals, with several (including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and mpox) showing associations with clinical case statistics in the community.
Co-authors contributing from UTHealth Houston included Kristina Mena, PhD; Anna Gitter, PhD; Fuqing Wu, PhD; Janelle Rios, MPH, PhD; and Jennifer Deegan, MPAff. From Baylor College of Medicine, the co-authors were Justin Clark, PhD; Li Wang, MD, PhD; Katelyn Payne, BS; Matthew Ross, PhD; Sara Javornik Cregeen, PhD; Juwan Cormier, PhD; Vasanthi Avadhanula, PhD; Austen Terwilliger, PhD; Pedro Piedra, MD; and Joseph Petrosino, PhD. Additionally, John Balliew from the El Paso Water Utility contributed as a co-author.
