Introduction:

Wastewater is a route for the transmission of many diseases, including viral infections. Wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance has been used to monitor and control Norovirus GII.17, poliovirus.

Objective:

Explore into SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater, its prevalence, the evidence of its transmission and its potential use for epidemiological surveillance on various spatial scales.

Methods:

A bibliographic and document review was carried out in the databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO and SciELO. A total 53 sources were consulted, of which 32 were selected based on the objective set.

Analysis and synthesis of results:

The virus has been detected in fecal matter, rectal swabs and in wastewater from different countries. Both media could be a reason for concern in terms of transmissibility, despite the low viral loads they carry. Molecular techniques have revealed the presence of as many as copies per liter in raw water, whereas treated wastewater has been found to contain copies per liter.

Conclusions:

Though no evidence is available of fecal-oral, fecal-nasal or wastewater transmission, these routes are a potential source of transmission awaiting substantiation. A standardized method is required for SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater. Prevalence studies should be conducted not only in this medium, but also in water treatment operations and processes. In Cuba there is potential for the surveillance and control of the disease in the population, as well as for the use of wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance.

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