title: Evaluation of the Universal Viral Transport system for long-term storage of virus specimens for microbial forensics.
abstract: Forensic microbial specimens, including bacteria and viruses, are collected at biocrime and bioterrorism scenes. Although it is preferable that the pathogens in these samples are alive and kept in a steady state, the samples may be stored for prolonged periods before analysis. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of storage conditions on the pathogens contained within such samples. To evaluate the capacity to preserve viable virus and the viral genome, influenza virus was added to the transport medium of the Universal Viral Transport system and stored for over 3 months at various temperatures, after which virus titrations and quantitative analysis of the influenza hemagglutinin gene were performed. Although viable viruses became undetectable 29 days after the medium was stored at room temperature, viruses in the medium stored at 4°C were viable even after 99 days. A quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the hemagglutinin gene was maintained for 99 days at both 4°C and room temperature. Therefore, long-term storage at 4°C has little effect on viable virus and viral genes, so the Universal Viral Transport system can be useful for microbial forensics. This study provides important information for the handling of forensic virus specimens.
authors.affiliation: Fifth Biology Section, First Department of Forensic Science, National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan. Electronic address: junji@nrips.go.jp.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hosokawa-Muto
authors.affiliation: Fifth Biology Section, First Department of Forensic Science, National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujinami
authors.affiliation: Fifth Biology Section, First Department of Forensic Science, National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Microbial forensics; Quantitative PCR; Sampling; Storage; Transport medium; Virus