Date of Award:

5-1-1981

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Biology

Department name when degree awarded

Life Sciences:Biology

Committee Chair(s)

Rex S. Spendlove

Committee

Rex S. Spendlove

Committee

Dennis George

Committee

Fred Post

Committee

Bill Barnett

Abstract

A protamine sulfate precipitation procedure capable of concentrating IV/PIV reovirus and rotavirus particles from large volumes of diverse waters was developed. This procedure can be used effectively with rapid immunofluorescent cell assay techniques. Protamine precipitation of both reovirus and rotavirus particles recovered 88 to 100 percent of the viruses added to water, 79 to 100 percent from secondary sewage effluent without suspended solids, 79 to 95 percent from secondary effluent with suspended solids and 82 to 100 percent from raw sewage. Twenty-two precipitations of naturally occuring reovirus particles recovered an average of 5.0 x 104/l from raw sewage. This study indicates that protamine precipitation can be of considerable value in the study of naturally occuring reoviruses and rotaviruses. Spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger were used to determine physical decay of IV/PIV reovirus particles aged in a dynamic aerosol toroid at various relative humidity (RH) ranges. Prehumidification of the secondary (mixing) air increased reovirus survival 20 percent using a Chicago atomizer and 80 percent using a Collison nebulizer. Total decay rates of reovirus IV/PIV particles stored at 21°- 24°C ranged from a high of 0.6 percent/min at 45 to 55 percent RH to 0.3 percent/min at 85 to 95 percent RH. Reovirus particles were relatively stable in the airborne state at the RH ranges examined. The presence of IV/PIV reovirus particles would be a good indicator of contamination with pathogenic enteric viruses. Also, reoviruses would be helpful in assessing the threat to health posed by enteric viruses in water and aerosols.

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