Comparison of Coliforms and Coliphages as Tools for Assessment of Viral Contamination in River Water

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of pathogenic viruses in the Moselle River and to compare the usefulness of thermotolerant coliforms and somatic coliphages as tools for river water quality assessment in terms of viral contamination. Thermotolerant coliforms and somatic coliphages were enumerated by standardized methods in 170 samples of river water drawn from five sampling sites along the Moselle River (eastern France). BGM cell culture and integrated cell culture-reverse transcription-PCR DNA enzyme immunoassay were used to determine the presence of pathogenic viral genome (Enterovirus and Norovirus genogroup II [GGII]) and infectious Enterovirus spp. in 90 1-liter samples. No infectious Enterovirus spp. were isolated, but Enterovirus and Norovirus GGII genomes were detected in 38% of the samples. Norovirus GGII genome was mostly detected in winter, whereas Enterovirus genome was mostly detected in summer and fall. Somatic coliphages appeared to be less sensitive to higher river water temperature than thermotolerant coliforms. Furthermore, the number of river water samples positive for pathogenic viral genome increased with increasing concentration of somatic coliphages, whereas coliform concentration was unrelated to viral genome contamination. Consequently somatic coliphages, which are less sensitive to environmental factors than thermotolerant coliforms in river water, would provide a promising tool for assessment of river water quality in terms of fecal and viral pollution.

The effect of antimicrobials on verocytotoxin bacteriophage transduction under bovine rumen fluid and broth conditions

“…The decrease in free phages from their peak values was unexpected as viral pathogens are generally considered to survive better that their cellular hosts, a phenomenon that has been demonstrated with Vtx phages (Muniesa et al, 1999;Lucena et al, 2003;Skraber et al, 2004). Moreover, the peak phage concentrations were similar to those previously recorded in human, cattle and poultry waste water and in bovine faeces (Imamovic et al, 2010;Rooks et al, 2012).…”

Coliphages as Model Organisms in the Characterization and Management of Water Resources

“…In contrast, other studies have shown some correlation between human viruses and F-specific phages [23,123,126,140,141] and between human viruses and somatic coliphages in surface waters [104,140,142], between enteroviruses and somatic coliphages in sludge [82], and between human viruses and both somatic and F-specific phages in surface water [78]. Thus, even if the results far from indicate a clear correlation between indicator coliphage densities and human viruses in water, there is evidence that somatic and F-specific coliphages are more strongly associated with pathogenic viruses than the traditional bacterial indicators and even a particular pathogenic virus.…”

“…In groundwater these failures have been identified for enteroviruses, rotaviruses, hepatitis-A viruses, and noroviruses [131,139]; noroviruses, enteroviruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses, and hepatitis-A viruses [129]; enteroviruses and noroviruses [127]; and enteroviruses, adenoviruses, and reoviruses [143]. In surface waters, a lack of co-occurrence or correlation has been reported for adenoviruses and enteroviruses [136]; enteroviruses and adenoviruses [142]; enteroviruses and adenoviruses [124]; adenoviruses and noroviruses [144]; and enteroviruses and polyomaviruses [145]. In contrast, some studies on surface waters have shown correlations among different pathogenic viruses, such as astroviruses, noroviruses, rotaviruses, and adenoviruses [23]; enteroviruses, reoviruses, noroviruses, and rotaviruses [78]; and adenoviruses and noroviruses [141].…”

Detection of Infectious Adenoviruses in Environmental Waters by Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting Assay

“…(ii) Ads are among the most prevalent human viruses identified in human sewage and are frequently detected in marine waters and the Great Lakes (17,32,33,35). (iii) Ads are more resistant to UV disinfection than any other bacteria or viruses (3,5,10,24,41,42,44). Thus, they may survive wastewater treatment as increasing numbers of wastewater treatment facilities switch from chlorination to UV to avoid disinfection by-products.…”