USE OF THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION FOR THE DETECTION OF ENTEROVIRUSES IN RIVER AND MARINE RECREATIONAL WATERS

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect human enterovir uses in river and seawater samples in,comparison with cell culture ana lysis. Extraction of the RNA from the sample was achieved by adsorptio n to size-fractionated silica in the presence of guanidinium thiocyana te. Good correlation was obtained between the two methods. For most sa mples it was not found necessary to carry out an initial cell culture passage prior to RT-PCR analysis, and RT-PCR was found to be as sensit ive and more rapid than cell culture.