LAUSR

AIMS To estimate the risk of human Rotavirus (RV) and Astrovirus (HAstV) infections for swimmers and fishers at Las Cañas beach, Uruguay. METHODS AND RESULTS Surface water samples were collected monthly for one year. The dose response models used were β Poisson and 1 F1 hypergeometric for RV and HAstV, respectively. The probabilities of infection were calculated using a kernel density estimate to fitting the data and then sampling from this distribution (Monte Carlo simulation). The probability of RV infection for fishers was between 0 and 65% and for swimmers was between 0 and 50% (<18 years old) and between 0 and 38% (>18 years old). For HAstV, the probability of infection for fishers was between 0% and 45% and for swimmers was between 0 and 38% (<18 years old) and between 0 and 18% (>18 years old). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that fishers are at higher risk of infection for both viruses when compared with swimmers mainly due to higher viral frequency and concentration at the site for fishing activities. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This study highlights the different risk of infection for Rotavirus and Astrovirus, determined according to two popular activities such as swimming and fishing evidencing their negative impact in public health when contaminated waters are used mainly in developing countries like Uruguay.