Rapid and sensitive methods are needed for the detection of enteric viruses to ensure proper drinking water quality. Gene probes have been shown to be useful for this purpose. Previously, samples to be assayed were treated with a series of phenol-chloroform extractions to release the viral nucleic acid. A recent test developed a more rapid procedure for liberating or exposing the genome of poliovirus for probing. In the study, a poliovirus model was used to test the ability of heat (65 degrees Celsius for 30 min) for release or exposure of viral nucleic acid. Several different RNase inhibitors were tested for their ability to prevent viral RNA degradation. A comparison of the two methods indicates phenol-chloroform extraction is not necessary before probing. In addition to saving 2-4 hours of time, maximum sensitivity levels were consistently obtained using the new procedure. (Author abstract).