Detection of hepatitis A virus in clinical and environmental samples by immunomagnetic separation and PCR.

Magnetic beads coated with antibodies against surface epitopes of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) captured efficiently viral particles from various types of samples. Contaminating substances, including particulate material, were removed by using a magnet to retain the beads during the washing procedure. A sensitive reverse transcriptase/nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was developed to confirm the presence of viral particles on the beads. The above technique was shown to be useful for the detection of a laboratory strain of HAV added to polluted river water, sea water and fecal extracts.