The Relative Sensitivities of Bacterial Viruses to Intense Sonic Vibration

Abstract

The sonic inactivation of each of a set of 7 viruses (T1-T7) active on Escherichia coli strain B was studied. 40-ml. filtered samples of each of the bac-teriophages were treated separately in a magneto-striction sonic oscillator. Samples were removed at intervals and, with the untreated control, were assayed for virus activity by the plaque count method. Samples of the host bacteria were similarly treated and their survivals detd. by colony counts. Viruses T2, T4, T5 and T6 were more rapldly inactivated than the host bacteria, while T1, T3 and T7 were resistant to sonic vibration. It appears that the sensitive viruses with relatively large and complex structures are mechanically disintegrated by intense vibration, while small, compact viruses are resistant.