F-Specific RNA-Bacteriophages as Model Viruses in Water Hygiene: Ecological Aspects

Abstract

Model organisms can be used to detect the possible presence of pathogens (index-function) or to assess the performance of a treatment process (indicator-function). To evaluate the index-function of FRNA-phages their ecology was studied. These phages were shown to be absent from feces of humans, dogs, cows, horses and to occur in relatively low numbers only in feces of pigs and calves. High counts were obtained from feces of broiler chickens (103-107 pfu/g). In various types of wastewater, counts were usually between 103 and 104 pfu/ml. These high counts could not be explained by direct fecal input. Multiplication of FRNA-phages in the environment seemed unlikely because of the necessity of bacterial host-strains to bear F-pili. These are only produced at temperatures above 30°C. It was shown however, that multiplication of FRNA-phages can also occur if a host-cell pregrown at 37°C (e.g. in the warm-blooded intestine) is transferred to environmental temperatures. Hence, the presence of FRNA-phages in environmental samples is indirectly associated with fecal pollution