This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moore, B E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Moore, B E Agricola Articles by Moore, B E

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 May; 59(5): 1437-1443

Survival of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HIV-infected lymphocytes, and poliovirus in water.

Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-1019.

ABSTRACT

The potential for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to enter domestic sewers via contaminated body fluids such as blood has spurred interest in the survival of this virus in water and wastewater. This study focused on establishing the inactivation of HIV and productively infected lymphocytes in dechlorinated tap water. In addition, HIV survival was compared with that of poliovirus. Results indicated that either free HIV or cell-associated HIV was rapidly inactivated, with a 90% loss of infectivity within 1 to 2 h at 25 degrees C and a 99.9% loss by 8 h. In comparison, poliovirus showed no loss of infectivity over 24 h. The presence of human serum in tap water slowed the rate of HIV inactivation through 8 h but did not stabilize the virus through 24 h. In addition, blood from stage IV AIDS patients was introduced into tap water, and the recovery of HIV was monitored by using both an infectivity assay and polymerase chain reaction amplification of viral sequences. Virally infected cells were no longer detectable after 5 min in dechlorinated tap water, while little diminution in amplifiable sequences was observed over 2 h. Thus, detection of viral sequences by polymerase chain reaction technology should not be equated with risk of exposure to infectious HIV.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hardestam, J., Simon, M., Hedlund, K. O., Vaheri, A., Klingstrom, J., Lundkvist, A. (2007). Ex Vivo Stability of the Rodent-Borne Hantaan Virus in Comparison to That of Arthropod-Borne Members of the Bunyaviridae Family. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 2547-2551 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lee, H. K., Jeong, Y. S. (2004). Comparison of Total Culturable Virus Assay and Multiplex Integrated Cell Culture-PCR for Reliability of Waterborne Virus Detection. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 3632-3636 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Baron, S., Poast, J., Cloyd, M. W. (1999). Why Is HIV Rarely Transmitted by Oral Secretions?: Saliva Can Disrupt Orally Shed, Infected Leukocytes. Arch Intern Med 159: 303-310 [Abstract] [Full Text]