Aggregation of Rotavirus Particles and Improvement of the Detection of Rotavirus RNA by Polycrylamide Gel Electrophoresis After Treatment With Tween-80.

Treatment of feces rotavirus-positive with Tween-80 at 0.25% enhances by a factor of 4-fold the viral detection of rotavirus RNA by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) after silver impregnation. By use of electron microscopy 35% of the rotavirus particles in untreated feces are aggregated, but after Tween-80 treatment, the percentage aggregated is decreased significantly to approximately 6%. Disaggregation of virus particles by Tween-80 can amplify the range of rotavirus RNA detection in feces.