Detection of Fastidious Infectious Enteric Viruses in Water

摘要

A procedure based on the infection of CaCo-2 cells and molecular hybridization with specific cDNA probes has been developed forthe detection of infectious fastidious enteric viruses in environmental samples. CaCo-2 cells, derived from a human colon adenocarcinoma, showed an increased sensitivity when compared to the usual routine host cell line to laboratory strains of rotavirus 3, reovirus 3, astrovirus 1, poliovirus 1, coxsackievirus A 24, enterovirus 70, and adenovirus 5,40, and 41. Using this methodology, wild-type rotaviruses, enteric adenoviruses, entero-viruses, and for the first time, astroviruses have been detected in freshwater samples. Direct dot-blot hybridization alone was not sufficient for virus detection from environmental samples. CaCo-2 cells may be used as a universal in vivo amplification system for human enteric viruses, enabling the specific monitoring of infectious viral agents in the environment.