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Difficulties in the replication of human astrovirus in cell cultures have led to the use of diagnostic procedures such as electron microscopy, ELISA or RT-PCR, which fail to provide quantitative data in environmental samples. The development of a sensitive competitive RT-PCR assay for the quantification of human astroviruses based on the use of an internal control is described (Caballero et al, 2002). The technique has been used to quantify astroviruses in sewage samples before and after treatment in three wastewater treatment plants and in river water samples before (Nile water) and after (drinking water) treatment in three water treatment plants in the Cairo area (Egypt) over one year (November 1998-October 1999). The positive samples were assayed by an CC-RT-PCR (Cell Culture-RT-PCR), using the CaCo-2 cell line (Pinto et al, 1994; Abad et al, 1997), to determine the infectious viruses in reference to the number of viral genomes obtained by the competitive RT-PCR. In this study, a competitive RT-PCR using an internal control was introduced to quantify astroviruses in sewage and water samples before and after treatment, collected from greater Cairo. Astroviruses were quantified in all the sewage samples, which were positive by RT-PCR and in the two positive water samples. A high number of RNA copies of astrovirus were observed in the end of autumn and in winter months in raw sewage of both Balaks and Zenin wastewater treatment plants. The gradual decrease of the RNA copies of astrovirus which was observed in the raw sewage since November 1998 until January 1999 may be due to the decrease of viral particles which were excreted from the sources of infection and the effect of environmental factors on the virus survival. The reduction in RNA copies in Balaks was of 1 log, 3 logs and

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 09/22/2002 Number of Pages: 4 File Size: 1 file , 110 KB