title: Detection and quantification of human bocavirus in river water.
abstract: Human bocavirus (HBoV) was recently discovered in children with respiratory-tract infection and has been detected frequently in faecal specimens from children with gastroenteritis. The present study addresses for the first time, to our knowledge, the prevalence of HBoV in river water. By using a newly developed real-time PCR targeting a conserved region of the NP1 gene of HBoV, virus levels in water samples were determined. Moreover, partial sequence analysis of the NP1 gene of HBoV and comparative phylogenetic analysis were performed. HBoV was detected in 40.8 % of collected water samples. The virus level ranged between 3x10(1) and 2x10(3) genome equivalents l(-1). Therefore, the present study suggests that river water could play a role in the spread of HBoV. However, further work should be done to determine the actual risk of infection via surface water.
authors: Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
authors: Ibrahim Ahmed
authors: IA
authors: Hamza
authors: Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Jurzik
authors: Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Wilhelm
authors: Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Überla
mesh_terms: D052660:Bocavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D045483:Rivers; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins