Pepper mild mottle virus as a water quality indicator

Abstract

Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) was recently found to be the most abundant RNA virus in human feces, and is a plant virus belonging to the genus Tobamovirus in the family Virgoviridae. When in human feces, it is of dietary origin from peppers and their processed products, and is excreted from a large proportion of healthy human populations, but rarely found in animal feces. Over the past decade, this virus has been increasingly attracting research attention as a potential viral indicator for human fecal pollution in aquatic environments and water treatment systems. Results presented in the literature reveal that PMMoV is globally distributed and present in various water sources in greater abundance than human pathogenic viruses, without substantial seasonal fluctuations. Several studies report that increased concentrations of PMMoV tend to be correlated with increased fecal contamination in general, along with more frequent detection of pathogenic enteric viruses. PMMoV also exhibits remarkable stability in water under various environmental conditions. Here, we review recent advancements in our understanding of the occurrence and persistence of PMMoV in natural and engineered water systems and discuss its advantages and limitations as a viral indicator for improved microbial water quality management.