DETECTION OF HUMAN HEPATITIS-A VIRUS IN ENVIRONMENTAL WATER BY AN ANTIGEN-CAPTURE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION METHOD

To detect hepatitis A virus (HAV) in environmental water samples, sens itive and specific methods are needed. An hemi-nested enzymatic amplif ication procedure was developed. When it was associated with an immuno -capture (IC) step, specificity and sensitivity were increased. The pr esence of a specific DNA fragment of 318 bp was detected by the analys is of the electrophoresis of the PCR products and confirmed on the aut oradiogram of the Southern blot of the gel, using a labeled oligoprobe PA1 selected in a very highly conserved region of the genome coding f or the capsid protein VPI. The IC/PCR detected less than one infectiou s unit of virus in 75 mul sample. Eleven Seine River samples and two d rinking water specimens were monitored by this assay. The IC/PCR bring s a significant contribution for increasing our knowledge of the incid ence of HAV on public health.