Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
07:28
A Small Volume Procedure for Viral Concentration from Water
Published on: February 3, 2015
Evaluation of viral concentration methods from irrigation and processing water
Ann De Keuckelaere1, Leen Baert, Alexandra Duarte
1Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Ann.dekeuckelaere@UGent.be
Journal of Virological Methods
|December 4, 2012
Summary
This study evaluated four viral concentration methods for water, finding Method 1 (HA-filter and optimized elution) best for recovering murine norovirus-1 and consistently effective for MS2 bacteriophages and human enteric viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A virus.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Virology
- Water Quality Monitoring
- Food Safety
Background:
- Accurate detection of enteric viruses in various water sources is crucial for public health.
- Existing viral concentration methods vary in efficiency depending on water type and target virus.
- Murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1) and MS2 bacteriophages are commonly used surrogates for human noroviruses (NoV) and other viruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare the efficiency of four different viral concentration methods.
- To determine the optimal method for recovering MNV-1 and MS2 from diverse water matrices.
- To assess the reliability of the best-performing method for concentrating human enteric viruses (NoV, HAV, RV).
Main Methods:
- Evaluation of four viral concentration techniques: three based on adsorption-elution (two with HA-membranes, one with Zetapor membrane) and one tangential flow filtration system.
- Testing methods with processing water and four types of irrigation water (bore hole, rain, open well, river).
- Detection of MNV-1 using real-time RT-PCR and MS2 using double-layer plaque assay; subsequent evaluation with GI/GII NoV, HAV, and RV.
Main Results:
- Method 1 (electronegative HA-filter with optimized elution) showed the highest recovery for MNV-1 across all water types (5.8-21.9%).
- Method 1 provided the most consistent recovery for MS2, though optimal methods varied by water type.
- Method 1 proved reliable for concentrating NoV and HAV in all tested water types, with recovery efficiencies ranging from 4.8% to 32.1%.
Conclusions:
- The HA-filter based Method 1 is a reliable and efficient technique for concentrating various enteric viruses, including noroviruses and hepatitis A virus, from diverse water sources.
- This method offers a consistent approach for viral water quality monitoring, essential for ensuring public health and food safety.
- While rotavirus detection was less efficient, the overall performance supports Method 1's utility in environmental virology.
