Coliphage

{{Short description|Bacteriophage that infects coliform bacteria}}

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.{{Cite journal | vauthors = Grabow WO |date=2001-04-01 |title=Bacteriophages : update on application as models for viruses in water |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/EJC115944 |journal=Water SA |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=251–268 |hdl=10520/EJC115944 }} When certain circumstances are met, such as a large number of susceptible hosts present at the right temperature, they can only partially replicate in sewage and contaminated waters.

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.{{cite journal | vauthors = Nappier SP, Hong T, Ichida A, Goldstone A, Eftim SE | title = Occurrence of coliphage in raw wastewater and in ambient water: A meta-analysis | journal = Water Research | volume = 153 | pages = 263–273 | date = April 2019 | pmid = 30735956 | pmc = 7169987 | doi = 10.1016/j.watres.2018.12.058 }}