Development of Immunoenzymatic Methods for Detection and Quantitation of Poliovirus

摘要

A major problem that must be faced in assessing the microbiological quality of a wide variety of water sources is the identification of human enteric viruses. Monitoing programs based on estimating bacteriological contamination of water are of questionable value in predicting virus concentrations. Routine monitoring of surface, drinking, and recreational waters for virus content is severely hampered by the absence of a reliable, specific, and simple procedure for quantification of the number of virus particles present. This research was directed toward development of a methodology useful for assessing entero-virus contamination. The method is based on an immuneoenzymatic assay in which virus specific antibody, to which is bound other antibodies and enzymes, is reacted with the virus. The complex can subsequently be visualized by addition of enzyme reagents which produce a color change in the presence of virus particles. Two forms of this assay have been developed, one using a microscopic visualization of the colored particles and the other based on reactions in a test tube with total color produced being used to quantify virus. Both methods offer promise of being able to count virus particles in moderately contaminated waters. Further development offers the promise of greater sensitivity.