Inactivation Protocols for RNA Viruses
Author Information
Author(s): Panny Lauren E., Piper Ashley E., Gardner Christina L., Burke Crystal W.
Primary Institution: United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)
Hypothesis
Can formalin and glutaraldehyde effectively inactivate positive-strand RNA viruses and their genomic material?
Conclusion
Both 10% formalin and 2.5% glutaraldehyde/2% paraformaldehyde effectively inactivate EEEV particles and genomic RNA in tissue samples.
Supporting Evidence
- Formalin fixation for 7 days resulted in less than 5% cytopathic effects in treated samples.
- Glut/PFA fixation for 2 days resulted in 0% cytopathic effects in treated samples.
- No infectious virus was detected in plaque assays of fixed samples.
Takeaway
This study shows that using certain chemicals can safely kill viruses in brain tissue, making it safe to handle.
Methodology
The study involved fixing EEEV-infected brain tissue in either 10% formalin for 7 days or 2.5% glutaraldehyde/2% paraformaldehyde for 2 days, followed by various assays to test for viral infectivity.
Limitations
The techniques may not be universally applicable to all positive-sense RNA viruses outside of the Togaviridae family.
Participant Demographics
Cynomolgus macaques of Indochinese origin were used in the study.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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