Resumo

DELLEON SILVA, Hugo; RODRIGUES MELO, Murilo; ANUNCIACAO, Carlos Eduardo  e  GARCIA-ZAPATA, Marco Tulio Antonio. Assessment of methods for the concentration and molecular detection of adenovirus in untreated water: A meta-analysis. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2010, vol.30, n.1, pp.65-71. ISSN 1315-2556.

Molecular methodologies based on PCR have been used for the detection of adenovirus (AdVs) in environmental samples. It is a consensus among researchers that these methodologies offer some advantages compared with traditional methods for the isolation of virus by cell culture, since they are more sensitive and specific and also require less processing time; however, the method to be used for virus concentration in environmental samples is still controversial. Consequently, we carried out a meta-analysis, aiming at responding the questions concerning the efficacy of three methods for virus concentration associated to the molecular detection of AdVs in untreated water samples, by selecting 33 studies. We concluded that: a) PCR should not be the method of choice for the detection of AdVs in environmental samples, and instead the use of qPCR or Nested-PCR should be prioritized; b) for the detection of AdVs in water samples collected in rivers or lakes, the method of choice should be an association of ultracentrifugation and Nested-PCR; c) it is advisable to use an association of microfiltration membrane, ultrafiltration, and qPCR for the detection of AdVs in treated and untreated sewage samples. Further studies are needed to evaluate the methods that have been used in only one study and/or with a limited number of samples.

Palavras-chave : adenovirus; untreated water; concentration; meta-analysis; PCR.