title: The sensitivity of some avian viruses to formaldehyde fumigation.
abstract: Various avian viruses (infectious bursal agent, reovirus, adenovirus, infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease, poxvirus, avian encephalomyelitis and infectious laryngotracheitis virus) as suspensions in buffer or in a litter slurry were exposed to aerosolized formalin in an attempt to determine the efficacy of this fumigation method for decontamination of laboratory isolation cubicles. Formalin (37% formaldehyde) was delivered by a commercial insecticide fogger at a flow rate of 40 ml per minute and a volume of 36 ml per cubic meter of space. Fumigated cubicles were left sealed for 18 hr (cycle 1) before viruses were sampled, or were then exposed to a second fumigation and left sealed for an additional six hour period (cycle 2) before viruses were titrated (commencing at a 1:10 dilution) for residual infectivity. Although the infectivity of all viruses was reduced by over 99% by one fumigation cycle, the second cycle was necessary for reduction of Newcastle disease and reoviruses to non-detectable (no infectivity demonstrated in a 1:10 dilution of fumigated virus) levels.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005651:Fumigation; D006813:Humidity; D007757:Laboratory Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde