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PubMed1996

Black identity and drinking in the US: a national study.

The relationship between ethnic identity and drinking patterns was explored in 1947 black adults from a nation-wide study of drinking behavior. Factor analysis revealed that a multi-dimensional construct which included four factors-media preferences, socio-political awareness, endogamy and social networks-was necessary to operationalize and measure the concept of ethnic identity. Using structural equation modeling, a model was tested which analyzed the impact of ethnic identification on religiosity and drinking norms, which in turn were predictors of drinking and heavier drinking latent variables. The results showed that ethnic identity influenced drinking behavior indirectly through its effects on drinking norms and religiosity as well as directly. Most aspects of ethnic identity decreased drinking levels. Respondents who scored higher on involvement with black social networks and black social and political awareness drank at lower levels than other respondents. These results were attributed to the prevalence of norms for abstinence and high levels of social control regarding drinking in black communities. However, high scores on using black media increased drinking rates. It was suggested that the promotion of alcohol use in black orientated media as well as the social settings attended by those who prefer black media might increase alcohol consumption.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Episodic heavy drinking in four Nordic countries: a comparative survey.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to compare the phenomenon of episodic heavy drinking (binge drinking) and its different indicators in the Nordic countries. DESIGN: A comparative survey of four Nordic countries. SETTING: Telephone interviews in Denmark, 1997; Finland, 1996; Norway, 1996; and Sweden 1996-97. PARTICIPANTS: Random samples of men and women aged 19-71 years. MEASUREMENTS: Episodic heavy drinking was measured by the frequency of subjective intoxication, of drinking six or more drinks at a time (6+), and of negative consequences (mainly hangover symptoms). Additionally, annual consumption and measures of intake per occasion were used. FINDINGS: Annual consumption, overall frequency of drinking and frequency of drinking 6+ were highest in Denmark and lowest in Norway. Frequency of subjectively defined intoxication was highest in Finland. There it was clearly higher than the frequency of drinking 6+, whereas in Denmark the contrary was observed. Finnish and Norwegian men and Danish women reported the largest quantities drunk per occasion. Results on 6+ frequency and the prevalence of negative consequences, with annual consumption held constant, suggest that Danes have the least concentrated drinking pattern. With annual consumption held constant, Norwegians report as high a frequency of intoxication, as do Finns. CONCLUSIONS: The relations between subjective and more objective measures of episodic heavy drinking vary considerably between the Nordic countries. The results suggest that the definition, acceptability and experience of intoxication vary even when a set of relatively homogeneous countries are compared.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Beliefs about the cardiovascular benefits of drinking wine in the adult population of Ontario.

AIMS: to explore beliefs about the cardiovascular benefits of drinking wine in the Ontario population. DESIGN: secondary analysis of data from a provincial survey of adults. PARTICIPANTS: Ontarians aged 18 or older (n = 606) from Ontario living in households and participating in a telephone survey. MEASURES: responses to questions concerning beliefs that wine drinking may reduce the risk of heart disease. Self-reports of age, gender, quantity and frequency of wine drinking, drinking problems, and existence of a diagnosis of heart disease. FINDINGS: a majority of respondents believed that wine drinking reduces heart disease. Almost all (87.6%) said that drinking one or two drinks a day would reduce heart disease. Belief in the health benefits of wine drinking was more common among men, more frequent drinkers, and wine drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: beliefs in the health benefits of wine drinking is common amongst Ontario adults and is consistent with many recommendations by health authorities. The study should be replicated with larger samples in a variety of countries with different drinking patterns.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Review of drinking patterns of rural Arab and Jewish youth in the north of Israel.

This article reviews four studies addressing alcohol drinking patterns among rural Arab and Jewish youth. Three religions, Moslem, Druze, and Christianity, were represented among the Arab population studied. The Arab adolescents come from villages, Arab towns, and mixed Arab-Jewish towns, while the Jewish youth come from kibbutzim and developing towns in the northern district of Israel. The first epidemiological study among rural adolescents was implemented in 1990. This study focused on frequency of drinking during the previous month, and amounts of alcohol consumed on a drinking occasion. The 1992 study focused on preferred sources of support after acquiring a drinking problem, reasons for drinking, and the social context of drinking in the previous year. The 1994 study focused on reasons for not drinking, preferred places of drinking, and ways of obtaining alcoholic beverages. The 1996 study dealt with frequency of drinking in the last year, and amounts of alcohol consumed on a drinking occasion. This review also includes urban-rural comparisons. Urban adolescents were drawn from Haifa, the largest city northern Israel.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, problem drinking, and socioeconomic status.

In general, a lower socioeconomic status (SES) is related to a lower health status, more health problems, and a shorter life expectancy. Although causal relations between SES and health are unclear, lifestyle factors play an intermediate role. The purpose of the present study was to obtain more insight into the relation between SES, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and problem drinking, through a general population survey among 8000 people in Rotterdam. Odds ratios were calculated using educational level as independent, and alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and problem drinking as dependent variables. Abstinence decreased significantly by increasing educational level for both sexes. For men, excessive drinking, and notably very excessive drinking, was more prevalent in the lowest educational group. For women, no significant relation between educational level and prevalence of excessive drinking was found. After controlling for differences in drinking behaviour, among men the prevalence of 'psychological dependence' and 'social problems' was higher in intermediate educational groups, whereas prevalence of 'drunkenness' was lower in intermediate educational groups. For women, a negative relation was found between educational level and 'psychological dependence'; prevalence of 'symptomatic drinking' was higher in the lowest educational group. Prevalence of problem drinking was not related to educational level in either sex. It is concluded that differences exist between educational levels with respect to abstinence, but only limited differences were found with respect to excessive drinking. Furthermore, there is evidence for higher prevalences of alcohol-related problems in lower educational levels, after controlling for differences in drinking behaviour, in both sexes.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Profile of drinking behaviour and comparison of self-report with the CAGE questionnaire and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in a rural Lesotho community.

This paper aims to: (1) profile the drinking behaviour of a rural Lesotho community facing relocation; (2) compare the following measures of hazardous drinking in this community: quantity/frequency self-report, the CAGE questionnaire and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) levels; (3) describe community awareness of, and attitude towards, treatment services. As part of a larger baseline survey of community health status, households in 29 villages in Lesotho were randomly sampled. Consenting adults (n = 348) participated in a face-to-face interview about alcohol use, which included the CAGE. Blood was taken from participants for CDT determination. Fifty-three per cent of men (37/69) and 19% of women (53/279) reported drinking alcohol. Thirty-six per cent of men (25/69) and 9% of women (25/279) were classified as hazardous drinkers defined as drinking 350 g (males) or 225 g (females) of alcohol/week, or 'engaged in bouts of heavy drinking 1 to 2 days a month or more during the past 12 months'. Hazardous drinkers were significantly more likely to be male and older, but did not differ from the rest of the sample on marital status. Using hazardous drinking as the standard, CAGE (score > or = 2) had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 75% for men and 62% for women. The parameters for CDT must be interpreted with caution as the cut-offs for hazardous drinking, especially for women's drinking, were lower than the usual cut-offs in published CDT studies. However, the high specificities for CDT in men (100%; 19/19) and in women (77%; 110/142) are consistent with other studies, but the low PPV of 14% (5/37) for men and women combined suggests that CDT is not effective as a predictor of hazardous drinking in this population. There was high awareness of available treatment services among participants, and most believed treatment to be beneficial. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive baseline profile of drinking behaviour in this community, but did not show the CAGE questionnaire or CDT profile to be useful in in this community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Drinking patterns and perspectives on alcohol policy: results from two Ontario surveys.

AIMS: Previous research has shown that heavier drinkers, in comparison to light drinkers or abstainers, are more likely to favour increased access to alcohol and relaxation of control policies. Often, studies have not examined whether attitudes to alcohol policies vary according to a respondent's pattern of drinking. This study examined the association between drinking variables and views on policy, using six drinking variables and six topics on alcohol policy. METHODS: Data were available from two Ontario surveys conducted in 2000 and 2002, which took representative samples of adults, aged 18 and older, selected by random digit dialling, who participated in interviews over the telephone (n = 1294 and 1206, respectively). Drinking variables include drinking status, drinking frequency, usual number of drinks, typical weekly volume, frequency of 5+ drinks per occasion and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. Six policy items were examined: alcohol taxes, warning labels, density of retail alcohol outlets, privatization of government liquor stores, alcohol advertising and consultation with health experts on decisions on alcohol policy. Logistic regression analyses included five demographic variables: gender, age, marital status, education and income. RESULTS: Among males, there was strong support for increased access to alcohol and fewer controls over alcohol policies. This relationship, although not as strong, also emerged for frequent consumers, high volume drinkers and those with a higher AUDIT score. CONCLUSION: Whether it is intentional or not, government policies that tend to make alcohol more available cater to young, heavy-drinking males who possibly experience problems in connection with their drinking behaviour.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Screening for hazardous or harmful drinking using one or two quantity-frequency questions.

AIMS: To address the accuracy of quantity-frequency (QF) questions in screening for hazardous or harmful drinking. METHODS: Three groups were interviewed: patients presenting to emergency departments for care of an acute injury (n = 1537) or a medical illness (n = 1151), and community controls interviewed by telephone (n = 1112). The first question about alcohol was a single alcohol screening question (SASQ), 'When was the last time you had more than X drinks in one day?', where X = 4 for women and 5 for men, with any time in the past 3 months considered a positive screen (1 drink = 14 g ethanol). The subsequent alcohol questions were a calendar-based review of recent drinking and the alcohol questions from the diagnostic interview schedule (DIS), which included questions about usual frequency and average quantity. Hazardous drinking was defined as drinking >4 drinks in 1 day or >14 drinks in 1 week for men (women 3 and 7) (Guidelines of the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). Current alcohol use disorders were defined using DSM-IV criteria. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in identifying hazardous drinking or current alcohol use disorder were compared. RESULTS: The area under the ROC curves in the three samples combined were 0.81 for SASQ (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-0.82), 0.80 for a question about average quantity alone (0.79-0.82) and 0.85 for the product of usual frequency times average quantity (0.84-0.86). The QF product and the question about average quantity performed consistently across the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: In clinical settings, one way to put these findings into practice is to screen first with a single question, such as the SASQ, a single question about typical quantity, or a question about the frequency of heavy drinking such as the third item of the alcohol use disorders test (AUDIT).

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The association between stress and drinking: modifying effects of gender and vulnerability.

AIMS: To assess the relationship between number and type of past-year stressful experiences and alcohol consumption, with a focus on how gender, poverty, and psychological vulnerability moderate this association. METHODS: Data from 26 946 US past-year drinkers 18 years of age and over, interviewed in the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), were used to construct multivariate linear regression models predicting six measures of drinking pattern and volume. RESULTS: There was a consistent positive relationship between number of past-year stressors experienced and all measures of heavy drinking. Frequency of heavy (5+ drinks for men; 4+ drinks for women) drinking increased by 24% with each additional stressor reported by men and by 13% with each additional stressor reported by women. In contrast, the frequency of moderate drinking (<5 drinks for men; <4 drinks for women) decreased as stress levels increased. Job-related and legal sources of stress were more strongly associated with alcohol consumption than were social and health-related stress. Men showed a stronger association than women between the number of stressors and the most consumption measures; they also responded more strongly to the presence of any legal and job-related stress. Having an income below the poverty level intensified the effects of job-related stress, but having a mood or anxiety disorder did not affect any of the associations between stress and consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Stress does not so much lead individuals to drink more often as to substitute larger quantities of alcohol on the days when they do drink. Treatment and brief interventions aimed at problem drinkers might benefit from addressing the issue of tension alleviation and the development of alternative coping mechanisms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Alcohol consumption and heavy drinking: a survey in three Italian villages.

AIMS: We investigated drinking habits, and heavy and problem drinking prevalence in a sample of individuals attending the consulting rooms of local General Practitioners in three Italian villages. METHODS: The samples were selected to be representative of the entire population of the three villages. Information on alcohol-drinking patterns was collected using a questionnaire that included a masked form of the CAGE rating scale. According to the frequency of alcohol intake, subjects were grouped in three categories: abstainers, occasional drinkers, and daily drinkers. In agreement with WHO guidelines, 40 g/day for males and 20 g/day for females were taken as cut-off for 'heavy drinking' and consumptions of > 80 g/day for males and 40 g/day for females were used to define 'problem drinking'. RESULTS: A total of 2972 individuals were included in the survey (19% of the population). Of these, 44% were abstinent, 20% occasional drinkers, and 36% daily drinkers. Daily drinking was found to be more common in males than in females but heavy drinking was significantly higher in females compared with males (P > or = 0.0001). The problem drinkers were 12% of the entire population and the CAGE-positive subjects (> or = 2 positive answers) were 3.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that alcohol drinking is widely diffused in the three communities. A large layer of the population drinks above the WHO-established cut-off. The incidence of heavy and problem drinking seems to have significant gender and regional differences that are important to consider when planning effective prevention programmes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Understanding binge drinking among young people: an application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

Binge drinking (i.e. consuming half the recommended weekly consumption of alcohol in a single session) is a common activity among young people. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as its theoretical framework, this paper reports a study exploring the motivational and attitudinal factors underlying binge drinking in a sample of undergraduate students. Questionnaires were completed by 136 undergraduates which focused on their drinking behaviour and their beliefs about binge drinking. Binge drinking was found to be more prevalent among male respondents, and a number of significant differences in the beliefs of male and female respondents were found which supported this difference in drinking behaviour. A regression analysis identified two key predictors of the frequency of binge drinking; these being positive control beliefs and perceived behavioural control. Frequent binge drinkers were more likely to recognize the influence of a range of factors which may serve to encourage binge drinking (e.g. celebrating an event) and less likely to believe that the decision to engage in binge drinking is under their control. The results are discussed in relation to measures which may help to reduce the incidence of binge drinking through changes in the social environment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Ethanol drinking experience attenuates (-)sulpiride-induced increases in extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens of alcohol-preferring (P) rats.

BACKGROUND: The reinforcing properties of ethanol may be partly mediated through the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. This study examines the effects of local application of the DA D(2) receptor antagonist (-)sulpiride (SUL) on ethanol drinking of alcohol-preferring (P) rats, and extracellular DA levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of P rats that were either ethanol-naive or had been chronically drinking ethanol. METHODS: Microdialysis was used to sample NAc DA levels, and reverse microdialysis was used to locally administer the D(2) antagonist (-)sulpiride (SUL) into the NAc of adult female P rats that were either drinking ethanol (n = 17) or were ethanol-naive (n = 24). Stable intake of 15% (v/v) ethanol (>/=0.75 g/kg) was established for the ethanol-drinking group in daily 1-hr access periods over a minimum of 4 weeks before surgery. Naive and ethanol-drinking rats were implanted with bilateral guide cannulae aimed 4 mm above the NAc shell. After recovery from surgery, microdialysis probes (active area = 2 mm) were inserted bilaterally into the NAc. Two days later, rats in the ethanol-drinking and naive groups were each divided into two groups; one group was bilaterally perfused (1.0 microl/min) with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) and the other group was further divided into three subgroups that were perfused with aCSF + either 50, 100, or 200 microM SUL for 240 min. During the last 60 min of perfusion, the ethanol-drinking rats were given their daily 1-hr ethanol access period. Following ethanol access, the aCSF + SUL subgroups were then given aCSF only. The entire perfusion procedure was repeated 24 hr later, but the aCSF only and aCSF + SUL group treatment conditions were transposed. RESULTS: In ethanol-drinking rats, 100 and 200 microM SUL increased extracellular NAc DA levels to approximately 200% of basal values, but did not significantly alter ethanol intake. In ethanol-naive P rats, 100 and 200 microM SUL increased extracellular NAc DA levels significantly more (450% of basal; p < 0.05) than in the ethanol-drinking group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ethanol-drinking experience causes a desensitization or a down-regulation of D(2) autoreceptors in the NAc of P rats.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2003

Missed opportunities in addressing drinking behavior in medical and mental health services.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological and clinical literature point to the importance of screening for alcohol problems in medical and psychiatric settings. However, little is known about which problem drinkers seek help from those services or about the characteristics of those who have their drinking addressed. METHODS: We interviewed a probability sample of adult dependent and problem drinkers in the general population (n = 672) and consecutive admissions to chemical dependency programs in a northern California county (n = 926). We reinterviewed them 1 year later and measured medical and mental health visits and whether their drinking was addressed during the visit. RESULTS: Almost two-thirds of problem drinkers had a medical visit, and approximately one-third had a mental health visit, yet drinking was not often discussed, especially during medical visits. Many of those more likely to have a visit were not more likely to have their drinking addressed. Women and individuals older than 40 years had more medical and mental health visits [odds ratio (OR), 1.71; p < 0.001 and OR, 1.55; p < 0.001, respectively, for women; OR, 1.57; p < 0.05 and OR, 1.64; p < 0.05, respectively, for age >/=40 years], but were not more likely to have their drinking addressed in either setting, and women were less likely than men to have their drinking addressed in mental health settings (OR, 0.62; p < 0.05). Those with higher alcohol severity and those who had attended chemical dependency treatment during the previous year were more likely to have their drinking addressed in each setting. Insurance status predicted medical, but not mental health, visits and was not related to having drinking addressed in either setting. CONCLUSIONS: Drinking behavior was not routinely addressed by medical and mental health practitioners for dependent and problem-drinking men and women who presented in public and private medical and mental health settings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

The status of naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol dependence: specific effects on heavy drinking.

BACKGROUND: In almost 2 decades of naltrexone research for treating alcoholism, there have been 29 published randomized placebo-controlled trials of opioid antagonists, primarily naltrexone, for the treatment of alcohol dependence. The present review builds on prior systematic reviews while maximizing the number of included studies to date, for the purpose of resolving inconsistencies in naltrexone's reported efficacy across trials. Clinical trial results in this article are evaluated by the type of outcome measure used to determine naltrexone's treatment advantage, that is, measures related to reducing heavy drinking versus those related to increasing abstinence. METHODS: We conducted a Medline search to identify double-blind studies from 1990 to the present (2006) that evaluated the use of anopiate antagonist for the treatment of alcohol dependence. There were 29 studies identified, representing 5997 alcohol-dependent patients, which met our study inclusion criteria for this review. Studies were evaluated in this review on 4 prespecified drinking outcomes-2 related to "any drinking" and 2 related to "heavy or excessive drinking." RESULTS: In the treatment of alcohol dependence, we found that 19 (70%) of 27 clinical trials that measured reductions in "heavy or excessive drinking" demonstrated an advantage for prescribing naltrexone over placebo, whereas only 9 (36%) of 25 clinical trials that measured abstinence or "any drinking" found an advantage for medication over placebo. CONCLUSION: The majority of double-blind clinical trials in the literature favored prescribing naltrexone for alcohol dependence to reduce heavy drinking. This finding is consistent with our understanding of naltrexone's mechanism of action of decreasing excessive drinking by reducing the reward associated with drinking alcohol. Thus, we conclude that outcome measures related to heavy or excessive drinking are most relevant to defining naltrexone's therapeutic effects. Factors influencing naltrexone response (treatment adherence and distinct patient subgroups) are also discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Contextual factors related to the drinking behaviors of American business and professional women.

American women in business and professional occupations (n = 453) completed a survey that included questions on alcohol use, drinking context, and work and other activities. Spouses' and best friends' consumption and subjects' frequency in drinking settings correlated with their consumption and negative consequences of alcohol use. Multiple regression analyses indicated that predictor variables for consumption were frequency in drinking settings, a measure of three personal motives for drinking, age, and number of organization memberships. Predictor variables for negative consequences were subject's consumption, spouse's drinking, frequency in drinking settings, and age. The results suggest that social context may be important in understanding women's drinking. Variables directly related to drinking, such as time spent in drinking situations, are correlated with increased drinking, while other contextual variables, such as membership in organizations, may play a preventive role.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The effects of alcohol expectancies on drinking behaviour in peer groups: observations in a naturalistic setting.

AIMS: To study the functionality of alcohol expectancies in predicting drinking behaviour in existing peer groups of young adults in a 'naturalistic' setting. DESIGN AND SETTING: Young adults were invited to join an experiment with their peer group in a bar annex laboratory. During a 'break' of 50 minutes in this experiment, their activities, social behaviour and drinking behaviour were observed with digital video and audio equipment. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-eight peer groups were involved in this study. A peer group consisted of seven to nine people, with relationships ranging from intimate relations and close friendships to being acquaintances. A total of 238 participants were involved. Measurements Information of the drinking behaviour from observations and questionnaire data on alcohol expectancies provide the opportunity to look at how and which expectancies are related to actual drinking patterns. Multiple regression and multi-level analyses were applied. FINDINGS: Expectancies on the positive and arousing effects of alcohol consumption were related to alcohol consumption in a naturalistic, social drinking situation, in addition to group effects of drinking. Expectancies on the negative and sedative effects of drinking, however, were not related to drinking. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that among young adults observed in a peer group and naturalistic drinking setting, positive expectancies about the effects of alcohol and expectancies about the effects of alcohol on arousal are related positively to drinking level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2007

A comparative multi-level analysis of contextual drinking in American and Canadian adults.

AIM: To investigate the effects of demographic factors and drinking location on contextual drinking in a comparison of US and Canadian adults. DESIGN: Multi-level techniques were used to model the two-level hierarchical structure of drinking contexts (level 1) nested within individuals (level 2). PARTICIPANTS: Two random samples of current drinkers aged 18 years or older were drawn from Canada's Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey (CADS, 1994) and the 1995 National Alcohol Survey (NAS 9). The US sample included 2304 respondents (level 2) who reported a total of 5956 drinking contexts (level 1); in Canada, 5394 respondents reported 13 235 drinking contexts. MEASUREMENTS: Participants reported usual alcohol intake in up to four drinking locations. Demographic data included age, gender, education level, income and marital status. FINDINGS: Significant variation in usual alcohol intake was observed between drinking locations in both the US and Canada. The full multi-level models explained 25% of the variance at the contextual level and 25% and 22% at the individual level in the US and Canada. Contextual drinking was determined by a complex relationship between demographic characteristics and drinking locations. Some interactions between locations and demographic variables were observed for both the US and Canada, whereas others were observed only in the US sample. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need, from a population health perspective, for a multi-level approach in epidemiology and prevention that considers drinking setting as a relevant level for analysis and intervention.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence, quantification and typing of adenoviruses detected in river and treated drinking water in South Africa.

AIMS: Human adenoviruses (HAds), of which there are 51 serotypes, are associated with gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary tract and eye infections. The importance of water in the transmission of HAds and the potential health risks constituted by HAds in these environments are widely recognized. Adenoviruses have not previously been quantified in river and treated drinking water samples. In this study, HAds in river water and treated drinking water sources in South Africa were detected, quantified and typed. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adenoviruses were recovered from the water samples using a glass wool adsorption-elution method followed by polyethylene glycol/NaCl precipitation for secondary concentration. The sensitivity and specificity of two nested PCR methods were compared for detection of HAds in the water samples. Over a 1-year period (June 2002 to July 2003), HAds were detected in 5.32% (10/188) of the treated drinking water and 22.22% (10/45) of river water samples using the conventional nested PCR method. The HAds detected in the water samples were quantified using a real-time PCR method. The original treated drinking water and river water samples had an estimate of less than one copy per litre of HAd DNA present. The hexon-PCR products used for typing HAds were directly sequenced or cloned into plasmids before sequencing. In treated drinking water samples, species D HAds predominated. In addition, adenovirus serotypes 2, 40 and 41 were each detected in three different treated drinking water samples. Most (70%) of the HAds detected in river water samples analysed were enteric HAds (serotypes 40 and 41). One HAd serotype 2 and two species D HAds were detected in the river water. CONCLUSIONS: Adenoviruses detected in river and treated drinking water samples were successfully quantified and typed. The detection of HAds in drinking water supplies treated and disinfected by internationally recommended methods, and which conform to quality limits for indicator bacteria, warrants an investigation of the risk of infection constituted by these viruses. The risk of infection may have implications for the management of drinking water quality. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study is unique as it is the first report on the quantification and typing of HAds in treated drinking water and river water. This baseline data is necessary for the meaningful assessment of the potential risk of infection constituted by these viruses.

Adenovirus Infections, Human↗