Electron Microscopic Examination of 'Giardia' Cultures for Viruses

摘要

Giardia lamblia is an important waterborne pathogen in the United States. Laboratory cultures of G. lamblia are maintained by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) researchers who conduct disinfection studies with this pathogen or who develop increasingly effective methods to detect it in the environment. Some G. lamblia cultures maintained in other laboratories have recently been shown to be infected with a virus. Researchers are concerned that infected cultures may react differently in laboratory studies. In the study, electron microscopy was used to examine USEPA cultures of G. lamblia for virus. Virus was demonstrated in one of four G. lamblia strains examined by this method. The infected strain will be used to determine the consequences of viral infection.