Influence of environmental factors on the survival of enteric viruses in seawater

• Published in: Oceanologica acta 1998-11, Vol.21 (6), p.983-992
• Main Authors: Gantzer, C, Dubois, E, Crance, J M, Billaudel, S, Kopecka, H, Schwartzbrod, L, Pommepuy, M, Le Guyader, F
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; fre
• Subjects: Ecology, environment; Hepatitis A virus; Life Sciences; Marine; Microbiology and Parasitology; Poliovirus; Poliovirus 1; Virology
• ISSN: 0399-1784; 1878-4143
• DOI: 10.1016/S0399-1784(99)80020-6

To improve the knowledge of the survival of enteric viruses in a marine environment, the influence of physico-chemical parameters (temperature, UV, salinity) on the survival of infectious poliovirus 1 and hepatitis A Virus (HAV) in seawater was first studied, the influence of suspended solids (SS) on poliovirus adsorption and survival in seawater was then evaluated and the detection of rotavirus genome in environmental samples (shellfish, river water, treated wastewater) was finally investigated. The results show that temperature has a major impact on virus survival in seawater as the time necessary to inactivate 90 % of the virus (T sub(90) is 671 days at 4 degree C and only 25 days at 25 degree C. Ultraviolet light (42 mW s cm super(-2) rapidly inactivates viruses but HAV is more resistant (T sub(90) = 2.6 min) than the poliovirus 1 (T sub(90) = 1.3 min). By contrast, seawater salinity has no effect on virus survival. In presence of SS, 90 % to 99.9 % of the viruses were adsorbed. This adsorption does not provide any protection for viruses with low SS concentrations (3 and 15 mg L super(-1)) but a slight increase in virus survival was observed with a high SS concentration (500 mg L super(-1)). Finally environmental sample analysis indicated that 20 % shellfish, about 40 % river water and 40 % treated wastewater tested positive for the rotavirus genome