Survival of polioviruses and echoviruses in Acanthamoeba castellanii cultivated in vitro.
Cultures of Acanthamoeba castellanii, kept at room temperature in sterile Bacto-Casitone (Difco) medium, were artificially infected with vaccination poliovirus strains type 1 and type 3 and with echovirus type 4 and echovirus type 30. No remarkable virus cumulation was observed on the surface or inside amoeba cells during the observation period of 21 days. Amoeba-adsorbed viruses were impossible to remove by repeated washings. Virus neutralization with specific antisera showed that enteroviruses were most probably present only on amoeba surfaces. In contrast to amoeba-free virus suspension, echoviruses bound to amoebae and their cell pulp persisted even after 52 to 75 days. However, the tested amoeba species played only the role of a solids-like carrier in this survival of echoviruses.
D000656:Amoeba / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D004463:Ecology; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000254:growth & development*; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D013997:Time Factors