LIMITATIONS OF POLYMER 2 PHASE SYSTEM FOR DETECTION OF VIRUSES

The aqueous polymer two phase technique has been evaluated in the detection of seven types of enteroviruses. Using primary monkey kidney cells as the host system, the two phase technique was found to be a significant aid to detection of each of the poliovirus types, Coxsackie virus type B-3, and, in the presence of fluid maintenance medium only, Coxsackie virus type A-9. The method was found to be worse than no treatment of samples containing Coxsackie virus type B-2 and ECHO virus type 6. The lower phase, into which the viruses concentrate, is strongly inhibitory to these two agents and to influenza A (PR 8) virus, suggesting that the effect might extend to other viruses as well. Users of this procedure in environmental virology studies should be aware that their results may be biased significantly by the selective action of the dextran sulfate employed in this technique. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.