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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
A Small Volume Procedure for Viral Concentration from Water
Published on: February 3, 2015
Zirconium hydroxide effectively immobilizes and concentrates human enteric viruses
1Department of Food Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7624, USA. ddsouza@unity.ncsu.edu
Background:
Detection of human enteric viruses in foods and environmental samples requires concentration of viruses from complex matrices before application of molecular or cultural methods. Previous studies have described the use of zirconium hydroxide to concentrate bacteria from clinical, environmental, and food samples.
Aims:
Our study describes the application of zirconium hydroxide to concentrate human enteric viruses.
Methods:
Poliovirus type 1, hepatitis A virus (HAV) strain HM-175, and Norwalk virus (NV) were used as models. Virus recovery was evaluated both as loss to discarded supernatants and as recovery in the precipitated pellets.
Results:
Poliovirus type 1, based on the plaque assay recoveries, ranged from 16 to 59% with minimal loss to the supernatant (1-5%). For both HAV and NV, RT-PCR amplicons of appropriate sizes were detected and confirmed in the pellet fraction with no visible amplicons from the supernatant.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
This rapid and inexpensive method shows promise as an alternative means to concentrate enteric viruses.
