Enterovirus types in samples of activated sewage sludge.

Samples of activated sewage sludge from two different wastewater treatment plants in Lorraine were collected in January and February 1983. After elution and concentration, virus contents were estimated with the under agar technique, utilizing BGM cells. A total of 436 pfu was counted, and after viral confirmation, 14% (61 isolates) were typed with the serum neutralization test, using the LIM Benyesh-Melnick pools A-O. Most frequently polioviruses (41%) were found, followed by Coxsackie viruses group B (25%), and echoviruses (7%). Twenty-eight percent of the isolates remained unidentified.