OCCURRENCE AND DETECTION OF VIRUSES IN DR INKING-WATER

Viruses can pass disinfection steps of water treatment plants without being inactivated. Investigations during the last 15 years revealed re peatedly the presence of enteric viruses in finished water meeting sta ndards for coliform bacteria. Methods for the detection of viruses in water which implicate their growth on specific cell cultures are very time consuming and do not cover many viral species. Molecular detectio n methods including PCR techniques may help in the development of alte rnate methods for virus detection particularly in drinking water which usually does not contain PCR inhibiting factors.