Sensitivity of host strains and host range of coliphages isolated from finnish and nicaraguan wastewater

Coliphages are regarded as possible indicators of enteric viruses in drinking water and waters used for recreational purposes. They can be detected in water by a rapid, simple and inexpensive method, which does not require special equipment or specially skilled personnel. In spite of extensive studies of coliphages any agreement about a standard method has not yet been reached. One of the questions that has delayed the decision is the choice of a good host strain. In the present study, the ability of more than 40 Escherichia coli strains to detect phages in effluents of several wastewater treatment plants in Finland was tested. The 12 most sensitive strains were selected for a study of sensitivity to pure cultures of coliphages isolated from Finnish and Nicaraguan wastewaters. The sensitivity of the host strains was found to be similar to phages isolated from both countries. Two strains were sensitive to 20 of the 25 somatic coliphages tested. Three strains had almost identical patterns of sensitivity to male-specific RNA-phages, two of the strain were sensitive to all of the 13 and one strain to 12 phages tested. According to the results the same host strains can be used in countries where the climate is very different.