The use of bacteriophages of the family Cystoviridae as surrogates for H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in persistence and inactivation studies

Abstract

Two bacteriophages, ϕ6 and ϕ8, were investigated as potential surrogates for H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in persistence and chlorine inactivation studies in water. In the persistence studies, ϕ6 and ϕ8 remained infectious at least as long as the H5N1 viruses at both 17 and 28°C in fresh water, but results varied in salinated water. The bacteriophage ϕ6 also exhibited a slightly higher chlorine resistance than that of the H5N1 viruses. Based upon these findings, the bacteriophages may have potential for use as surrogates in persistence and inactivation studies in fresh water.

Keywords:

• Bacteriophage
• surrogate
• avian influenza virus
• H5N1
• persistence
• inactivation
• water

Acknowledgments

We thank Abraham Turetsky for insightful guidance in reference to the initiation of this project, and Leonard Mindich for supplying bacteriophage ϕ8 and the bacterial host Pseudomonas syringae LM2489.

Notes

^a Rapid inactivation of A/Whooper Swan/Mongolia/244/05 at 30 ppt, 28°C did not allow for valid data analysis to be conducted.

^a Ct: concentration of free chlorine (mg/L) multiplied by the exposure time (minutes).

^b Free chlorine concentrations were not determined (ND) for exposure times of 15 seconds.