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Comparison of Five Bacteriophages as Models for Viral Aerosols Studies

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2014 May 2. [Epub ahead of print]
Comparison of Five Bacteriophages as Models for Viral Aerosols Studies.
Turgeon N1, Toulouse MJ, Martel B, Moineau S, Duchaine C.
Author information
Abstract

Bacteriophages are perceived as good models for the study of airborne viruses because they are safe to use, some of them display structural features similar to human and animal viruses, and they are relatively easy to produce in large quantities. Yet, only few studies have investigated them as models. It has been previously demonstrated that aerosolization, environmental conditions, and sampling conditions affect viral infectivity but this is virus-dependent. Thus, several viral models are likely needed to study their general behavior in aerosols. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of aerosolization and sampling on the infectivity of five tail-less bacteriophages and two pathogenic viruses: MS2 (ssRNA/Leviviridae family), Φ6 (segmented dsRNA/Cystoviridae), ΦX174 (ssDNA/Microviridae), PM2 (dsDNA/Corticoviridae), PR772 (dsDNA/Tectiviridae), human influenza A H1N1 (ssRNA/Orthomyxoviridae), and poultry Newcastle disease virus (NDV, ssRNA, Paramyxoviridae). Three nebulizer and two nebulization salt buffers (with or without organic fluid) were tested as well as two aerosol-sampling devices, a liquid cyclone (SKC BioSampler) and a dry cyclone (NIOSH two-stage cyclone). The presence of viruses in collected air samples was detected by culture and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Our results showed that these selected five phages behave differently when aerosolized and sampled. RNA phage MS2 and ssDNA phage ΦX174 were the most resistant to aerosolization and sampling. The presence of organic fluid in the nebulization buffer protected RNA phages PR772 and Φ6 throughout aerosolization and sampling with dry cyclones. In this experimental setup, the behavior of the influenza virus resembled that of phages PR772 and Φ6 while the NDV was closer to phages MS2 and ΦX174. These results provide critical information for the selection of appropriate phage models to mimic the behavior of specific human and animal viruses in aerosols.

PMID:
24795379
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24795379
 
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