Comparison of cytopathogenicity, immunofluorescence and In situ DNA hybridization as methods for the detection of adenoviruses

Abstract

Three different methods were compared for their et~ciency at detection of adenoviruses. The samples examined for viral analysis consisted of concentrates prepared from raw sewage, chosen as providing a representation of the spectrum of viruses being intestinally shed from a large population at any given time. When using one single cell line, HEp-2, the overall numbers of adenoviruses detected using cytopathogenicity and immunofluorescence were roughly equal. In situ hybridization was approx. 40% more sensitive than either of these other methods as determined by average virus titers for the different samples, and also proved to be better by means of a nonparametric comparison. The 293 cell line was approx. 5 times more sensitive for detecting adenoviruses by cytopathogenicity as compared with the HEp-2 cell line, but proved unsuitable in our hands for quantitatively detecting indigenous adenoviruses by immunofluorescence. The relative number of indigenous adenoviruses present in the sewage concentrates we examined was, on average, 94-fold greater than that of enteroviruses. Assay of enteroviruses was performed by plaque assay in the BGM cell line.

Fate of viruses during wastewater sludge treatment processes

“…60 It has been reported that the number of adenoviruses present in raw primary sludge may exceed that of the enteroviruses by an average factor of 94-fold. 61 It has also been estimated that approximately 80% of the adenoviruses present in wastewater sludges are of serotypes 40 and 41, 61 which cause gastroenteritis.…”

“…Use of newer, more rapid, assay methods for detecting human viruses has helped to greatly reduce the second concern. 61 It must also be realized that bacteriophages generally respond very differently from enteric viruses in terms of their inactivation times when exposed to chemical disinfection agents, such as chlorine. Bacteriophages also have the potential to increase their numbers within wastewater sludges if the proper bacterial host organisms are present.…”

Enhanced effectiveness of medium-pressure ultraviolet lamps on human adenovirus 2 and its possible mechanism

“…There is little information on the level of adenoviruses in surface and source waters, but they have been found in raw sewage at often greater concentrations than enteroviruses (Irving & Smith 1981;Hurst et al 1988) and they were shown to be more persistent in natural waters than enteroviruses (Enriquez et al 1995).…”

Chlorine Inactivation of Adenovirus Type 40 and Feline Calicivirus

“…Enteric adenoviruses are shed in high numbers in the feces (1) and, like NLVs, are typically shed in the feces for long periods, and infection can be caused by low numbers of viral particles (16,22). Enteric adenoviruses have greater environmental stability than other enteric viruses (10), and their presence in sewage and surface water makes them likely contaminants in public water supplies (24,25). Moreover, enteric adenoviruses and NLVs were identified as two of the etiological agents causing acute gastroenteritis in a waterborne outbreak in Finland (30), and waterborne outbreaks of pharyngoconjuctivitis from swimming have been reported for nonenteric adenoviruses (15,35).…”