Coliphage (original) (raw)

A coliphage is a type of bacteriophage that infects coliform bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Coliphage originate almost exclusively from human feces and from other warm-blooded animals. They undergo limited replication in sewage and contaminated waters under specific conditions, such as a high density of susceptible hosts at optimal temperatures. Examples include Enterobacteria phage λ and species from the family Fersviridae. Coliphage levels reflect the persistence of pathogenic viruses in the environment and have been proposed as an indicator of fecal contamination in water.