The inactivation of poliovirus in aerosols

Abstract

Poliovirus type 1, strain LSc2ab, was directly sprayed in a static air cabinet at 20° C. and sampled afterwards with impingers. Virus inactivation during spraying was maximal in dry air; during storage maximal decay occurred at moderate humidity.With regard to the mechanism of the inactivation the following facts have been observed: (1) The RNA in the virus decays simultaneously with the whole virus particle. (2) Oxidation does not play any significant role. (3) Incubation with L-cystine protects the virus against inactivation at 50° C. in aqueous suspension, but not against decay in aerosols.On the strength of these observations it is concluded that in aerosols denatura-tion of the viral RNA is the cause of the inactivation of poliovirus. The decay in aerosols has some features in common with the thermal inactivation in aqueous suspensions at room temperature.