Article Abstract:
Examination of the persistence of viral RNA in filtered seawater and in unfiltered seawater by reverse transcript-PCR (RT-PCR) reveals the higher stability of poliovirus genomic RNA in filtered seawater than in unfiltered sea water. RT-PCR fails to detect the viral RNA after 28 days of incubation in filter-sterilized seawater and after 2 days of incubation in unfiltered seawater. Indigenous microorganisms are responsible for the viral RNA degradation. Presence of well-protected viral particles facilitates the identification of virus in environmental samples by the RT-PCR.
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Article Abstract:
PCR analysis of municipal sewage concentrates indicates the presence of the DNA encoding Shiga-like Toxin (SLT) II only in the influent sample of untreated sewage. The thermotolerant Escherichia coli isolates cultured from the raw and treated sewage fail to hybridize to the DNA probe specific for the more potent SLT II. Results suggest that preliminary or primary treatment of sewage eliminates SLT II-harboring organisms, and that the enterohemorrhagic E. coli strains are non-significant in the municipal sewage.
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Article Abstract:
Measurements of E. coli in waterways exposed to tidal forces may be inaccurate. In a coastal waterway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, E. coli levels increased during storm surges and high tides, and decreased during low tides.
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