An improved method for concentrating rotavirus from water samples

A modified adsorption-elution method for the concentration of seeded rotavirus from water samples was used to determine various factors which affected the virus recovery. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the rotavirus antigen after concentration. Of the various eluents compared, 0.05M glycine, pH 11.5 gave the highest rotavirus antigen recovery using negatively charged membrane filtration whereas 2.9% tryptose phosphate broth containing 6% glycine; pH 9.0 was found to give the greatest elution efficiency when a positively charged membrane was used. Reconcentration of water samples by a speedVac concentrator showed significantly higher rotavirus recovery than polyethylene glycol precipitation through both negatively and positively charged filters (p-value 1,800 MPN/100 ml) were observed but rotavirus was not detected in any sample. This study suggests that the speedVac reconcentration method gives the most efficient rotavirus recovery from water samples