Inactivation of vaccinia virus by natural sunlight and by artificial UVB radiation.

This study determined the sensitivity of vaccinia virus, an orthopox virus commonly used as a surrogate for variola virus (etiological agent of smallpox), exposed to UVB radiation emitted by a solar simulator, or to direct natural sunlight. The data obtained indicate that: (1) the virucidal effect of natural sunlight can be mimicked adequately by an artificial light source with similar spectral characteristics in the UVB, (2) viral sensitivity to UVB or to solar radiation can be correlated with experimental data previously obtained with UVC, (3) the correlation factor between virus inactivation by solar radiation (measured at 300 ± 5 nm) and by UVC (254 nm) is between 33 and 60, and (4) the sensitivity of viruses either dry on glass surfaces or in liquid suspension is similar when in the presence of similar amounts of cellular debris and growth media. The findings reported in this study should assist in estimating the threat posed by the persistence of virus during epidemics or after an accidental or intentional release.

Isolation and characterisation of a human-like antibody fragment (scFv) that inactivates VEEV in vitro and in vivo.

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) belongs to the Alphavirus genus and several species of this family are pathogenic to humans. The viruses are classified as potential agents of biological warfare and terrorism and sensitive detection as well as effective prophylaxis and antiviral therapies are required.In this work, we describe the isolation of the anti-VEEV single chain Fragment variable (scFv), ToR67-3B4, from a non-human primate (NHP) antibody gene library.

Microbial inactivation for safe and rapid diagnostics of infectious samples.

The high risk associated with biological threat agents dictates that any suspicious sample be handled under strict surety and safety controls and processed under high-level containment in specialized laboratories. This study attempted to find a rapid, reliable, and simple method for the complete inactivation of a wide range of pathogens, including spores, vegetative bacteria, and viruses, while preserving microbial nucleic acid fragments suitable for PCRs and proteinaceous epitopes for detection by immunoassays. Formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and guanidium thiocyanate did not completely inactivate high titers of bacterial spores or viruses after 30 min at 21°C.