![](https://d3ilqtpdwi981i.cloudfront.net/XC2570RjBb51vikKfEjUc2KN_DI=/425x550/smart/https://bepress-attached-resources.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/05/39/6f/05396f24-96dd-435f-9c26-e65f044ca2be/thumbnail_d779a31f-376e-498b-80f6-cf6d83faa0ed.jpg)
The objective of this experiment was to describe the stability of airborne infectious porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) as a function of temperature and relative humidity. A cloud of infectious PRRSV was aerosolized using 24-jet Collison nebulizer into a dynamic aerosoltoroid (DAT) maintained at a specific temperature and relative humidity. The PRRSV cloud within the DAT was sampled repeatedly over time using SKC BioSampler impingers and the total viral RNA (RT-PCR) and concentration of infectious PRRSV (TCID in the air samples was determined. As measured by quantitative RT-PCR, PRRSV RNA was stable under the conditions evaluated in this study. Thus, a comparison of viral RNA and Rhodamine B dye, a physical tracer, found no significant difference in the slopes of the lines. Titers of infectious virus were plotted by time and the half-life (1/2) of infectious PRRSV was calculated using linear regression analysis. An analysis of the results showed that aerosolized PRRSV was more stable at lower temperatures and/or lower relative humidity, but temperature had a greater effect on the 1/2 of PRRSV than relative humidity. Based on these results, an equation was derived to predict the 1/2 of infectious airborne PRRSV for any combination of environmental temperature and relative humidity.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/steven_hoff/100/
This article is from Veterinary Research 38, no. 1 (2007): 81–93, doi:10.1051/vetres:2006044. Posted with permission.