Evaluation of Moloney murine sarcoma and leukemia virus complex as a model for airborne oncogenic virus biohazards: survival of airborne virus and exposure of mice.
Aerosols of the Moloney murine sarcoma virus (MuSV-M) and leukemia virus (MuLV-M) complex (MuSV-M/MuLV-M) were generated from refluxing atomizers and then aged in rotating drums at 21 degrees C holding temperature with relative humidities ranging from 25 to 76%. The MuSV-M and MuLV-M aerosolized from the same tumor extract preparation survived almost equally at the four humidity levels. Both viruses remained viable in the airborne state for at least 2 hours after aerosolization. When mice were exposed to airborne MuSV-M/MuLV-M, no macroscopic lesions were observed in lungs or other tissues examined during the 2-month postexposure period. On the basis of this study, MuSV-M was determined unsuitable as a "model system" in which a simple aerosol dose response could be used for biohazard evaluation of oncogenic virus aerosols.
D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006813:Humidity; D007757:Laboratory Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000209:etiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus; D009053:Sarcoma Viruses, Murine; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D000336:Aerosols