Viral hepatitis is a disease caused by a virus, or a virus-like particle and is extremely infectious. Infection can occur when the virus is present in minute quanities. Outbreaks of this disease have been associated with water supplies contaminated with raw sewage. Detection of viral hepatitis in water samples, at present, consists of testing the serum of persons who have contracted the disease after consuming water suspected of containing hepatitis virus. Since this method of determination is time consuming and subjective, an alternative method of detecting the presence of hepatitis virus in water was explored in this research.Radioim munoassay (RIA), used for the detection of Australia antigen (HAA) in the serum of humans, utilizes a tagging system in which Australia antigen antibody is bound with iodine-125. This technique, a combination of chemistry and immunology, can detect less than one- billionth of a gram of HAA in serum and requires approximately four hours to complete the testing. RIA detection of HAA is presently limited to detection of HAA in serum samples.This research used RIA as a detection system to test water samples collected from local water sources. Control serum samples collected from a local hospital were tested for HAA. Fifteen water samples and two serum samples tested were positive upon initial testing for Australia antigen. HAA was also detected in water samples in control situations in which sera with a high titer to HAA were diluted in water and then tested using RIA.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/181260 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Carter, Judy K. |
| Contributors | Nash, Peter |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 39 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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