Wastewater-based epidemiology: the crucial role of viral shedding dynamics in small communities.

Background: Wastewater surveillance (WWS) of pathogens is a rapidly evolving field owing to the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic, which brought about a paradigm shift in public health authorities for the management of pathogen outbreaks. However, the interpretation of WWS in terms of clinical cases remains a challenge, particularly in small communities where large variations in pathogen concentrations are routinely observed without a clear relation to clinical incident cases.

Methods: Results are presented for WWS from six municipalities in the eastern part of Canada during the spring of 2021.

Impact of arachidonic acid enrichment of live rotifer prey on bacterial communities in rotifer and larval fish cultures.

Rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis), commonly used at first feeding in commercial fish hatcheries, carry a large bacteria load. Because they are relatively poor in essential fatty acids, it is common practice to enrich them with fatty acids, including arachidonic acid (AA). This study aims to determine whether prey enrichment with AA may act as a prebiotic and modify the microbial community composition either in AA-enriched rotifer cultures or in larval-rearing water using winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) as a larval fish model.

Dynamic approaches of mixed species biofilm formation using modern technologies.

Bacteria and diatoms exist in sessile communities and develop as biofilm on all surfaces in aqueous environments. The interaction between these microorganisms in biofilm was investigated with a bacterial genus Pseudoalteromonas sp. (strain 3J6) and two benthic diatoms Amphora coffeaeformis and Cylindrotheca closterium.