A сomparative сharacterization of the main methods for concentrating viral pathogens from water

Viral infections lead to a variety of nosological forms, necessitating routine monitoring of the circulation of pathogens. Aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the accumulation and subsequent transmission of viruses to humans. Each year, approximately two million people are infected with enteric viruses from water sources. Human activities often result in fecal contamination of water bodies with enteric pathogens. The most studied viral families associated with acute intestinal infections include Picornaviridae, Adenoviridae, Caliciviridae, and Reoviridae. To address the issues related to viral infections, it is essential to optimize and enhance biological control methods in aquatic ecosystems, including the application of virus concentration and filtration techniques from water. The objective of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of scientific literature regarding the methods for the filtration and concentration of viral pathogens in wastewater, with the aim of identifying the priority features and shortcomings of the prevailing standards in filtration and concentration techniques. This review of scientific publications outlines the results of current approaches regarding the study of universal methods for concentrating viral agents in aquatic ecosystems. Classical methods are effective but not universal, while innovative methods are often insufficiently studied and frequently economically unfeasible. The main criteria that concentration methods should meet have been identified. The most commonly used methods include adsorption, ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation, and polyethylene glycol precipitation. The combined use of these methods could potentially compensate for the shortcomings of each, allowing for the acquisition of objective results.