Conditions for the chemical and physical inactivation of the K. Fu. strain of the agent of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Abstract

The unusual resistance of the unconventional viruses to inactivation by the commonly used disinfectants has led to a high degree of apprehension regarding patients with any form of dementia. The rapid adaptation of a newly acquired isolate of the agent of Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD) to mice made possible this large scale study of its heat and chemical stability. The agent showed a decrease in titer of .apprx. 2 logs following incubation at 80.degree. C for 30 min with no additional loss at 80.degree. C for up to 500 min. There was greater than a 3 log decrease in titer at 100.degree. C for 30 min and temperatures of 115.degree. and 130.degree. C completely inactivated the agent. Treatment with sodium hypochlorite at 3 concentrations (0.33%, 0.66% and 1.31%) showed inactivation of > 99% at each. Crude agent preparations were not inactivated by sodium dodecyl sulfate at detergent to protein ratios up to 4:1. Evidently, those hospital supplies which resist autoclaving may be adequately disinfected by autoclaving for at least 30 min. Treatment of surfaces with solutions of sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) at concentrations of 15-25% is also effective. Detergent treatment of contaminated surfaces or materials is inadequate for proper decontamination.