Virus detection using Viro-Adembeads, a rapid capture system for viruses, and plaque assay in intentionally virus-contaminated beverages.

Intentional contamination of beverages with microbes is one type of bioterrorist threat. While bacteria and fungus can be easily collected by a centrifuge, viruses are difficult to collect from virus-contaminated beverages. In this study, we demonstrated that Viro-Adembeads, a rapid-capture system for viruses using anionic polymer-coated magnetic beads, collected viruses from beverages contaminated intentionally with vaccinia virus and human herpesvirus 8. Real-time PCR showed that the recovery rates of the contaminated viruses in green tea and orange juice were lower than those in milk and water. Plaque assay showed that green tea and orange juice cut the efficiency of vaccinia virus infection in CV-1 cells. These results suggest that the efficiency of virus detection depends on the kind of beverage being tested. Viro-Adembeads would be a useful tool for detecting viruses rapidly in virus-contaminated beverages used in a bioterrorist attack.