Large gastroenteritis outbreaks associated with astroviruses are being
reported with increasing frequency suggesting that astrovirus may be
an important agent of epidemic acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in
children and adults. In this study, a procedure, based on infection of
CaCo-2 cell monolayers followed by reverse-transcription polymerase c
hain reaction, was developed to ascertain the persistence of infectiou
s human astroviruses in tap and marine water at 4+/-1 degrees C and 20
+/-1 degrees C The adequacy of this methodology for monitoring the dec
ay of infectious fastidious viruses was assessed by determining the su
rvival of a cytocidal virus (poliovirus 1) concomitantly by MPNCU and
cell infection plus RT-PCR. After 60d in dechlorinated tap water, the
decay of astrovirus infectivity was lower than % logs at 4+/-1 degrees
C and around 3.6 logs at 20+/-1 degrees C, while after 90d the titre
reduction was around 3.3 and 4.3 logs at 4+/-1 degrees C and 20+/-1 de
grees C respectively. In natural non-autoclaved seawater at 20 degrees
C, astrovirus showed a lower level of persistence. The possibility to
acquire data on the survival of fastidious viruses in the environment
opens new perspectives on the epidemiology of some health significant
infections transmitted by the faecal-oral route. (C) 1997 IAWQ. Publi
shed by Elsevier Science Ltd.