Survival of pseudorabies virus in aerosol.

Abstract

The survival of pseudorabies virus in an aerosol was studied under different environmental conditions of temperature and relative humidity. Pseudorabies virus decayed logarithmically with mean half-lives of 17.4 (85% relative humidity, 22 C), 18.8 (25% relative humidity, 22 C), 27.3 (85% relative humidity, 4 C), 36.1 (55% relative humidity, 22 C), and 43.6 (55% relative humidity, 4 C) minutes. Virus survival was significantly improved in environments at 55% relative humidity, compared with those at 85% relative humidity (P = 0.017). Rates of survival were improved in environment at 4 C in comparison with those at 22 C. Results suggest that, under the best conditions of this study, the infectivity of pseudorabies virus in an aerosol decreases by 50% in less than 1 hour.