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Updated: May 26, 2026

Cost-effective Method for Microbial Source Tracking Using Specific Human and Animal Viruses

Cost-effective Method for Microbial Source Tracking Using Specific Human and Animal Viruses

Published on: December 3, 2011

Cost-effective method for microbial source tracking using specific human and animal viruses.

Silvia Bofill-Mas¹, Ayalkibet Hundesa, Byron Calgua

¹Laboratory of Water and Food Viral Pollution, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona.

Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove

|December 14, 2011

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This study introduces a streamlined, cost-effective method for concentrating viruses from water samples. The new one-step protocol enables accurate identification of human and animal fecal contamination sources using quantitative PCR.

Area of Science:

Environmental microbiology and virology
Water quality assessment
Microbial Source Tracking (MST)

Background:

Microbial contamination poses significant health risks, with traditional bacterial indicators showing limitations.
Viruses are more resistant to inactivation and offer better source tracking capabilities than bacterial indicators.
Human adenoviruses (HAdV) and JC polyomaviruses (JCPyV) are established markers for human fecal contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a simplified, cost-effective one-step protocol for concentrating viruses from large water volumes.
To enable the use of specific viral markers, including porcine adenoviruses (PAdV) and bovine polyomaviruses (BPyV), for microbial source tracking.
To facilitate high-throughput analysis of viral contamination in various water matrices.

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Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Cost-effective Method for Microbial Source Tracking Using Specific Human and Animal Viruses

Cost-effective Method for Microbial Source Tracking Using Specific Human and Animal Viruses

Published on: December 3, 2011

Viral Tracing of Genetically Defined Neural Circuitry

Viral Tracing of Genetically Defined Neural Circuitry

Published on: October 17, 2012

High-throughput Detection of Respiratory Pathogens in Animal Specimens by Nanoscale PCR

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Published on: November 28, 2016

Main Methods:

A one-step viral concentration protocol involving acidification, skimmed milk flocculation, sedimentation, and centrifugation.
Concentrated viral nucleic acid extraction followed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) for specific adenovirus and polyomavirus detection.
Application of the method to diverse water types, including groundwater, bathing water, seawater, and river water.

Main Results:

The one-step protocol significantly reduces processing time and complexity compared to traditional two-step methods.
The method demonstrates high throughput, reliability, and cost-effectiveness for analyzing multiple water samples simultaneously.
Successful application in identifying viral contamination sources in groundwater samples, demonstrating its practical utility.

Conclusions:

The developed one-step viral concentration and qPCR method is a reliable and efficient tool for microbial source tracking.
This approach overcomes previous bottlenecks, enabling broader application of viruses as indicators of fecal contamination.
The protocol's cost-effectiveness and high-throughput nature make it suitable for routine water quality monitoring.