Inactivation of Coxiella burnetii by gamma irradiation |
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Authors: | G H Scott T F McCaul J C Williams |
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Institution: | United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Department of Intracellular Pathogens, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21701. |
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Abstract: | The gamma radiation inactivation kinetics for Coxiella burnetii at -79 degrees C were exponential. The radiation dose needed to reduce the number of infective C. burnetii by 90% varied from 0.64 to 1.2 kGy depending on the phase of the micro-organism, purity of the culture and composition of suspending menstruum. The viability of preparations containing 10(11) C. burnetii ml-1 was completely abolished by 10 kGy without diminishing antigenicity or ability to elicit a protective immune response in vaccinated mice. Immunocytochemical examinations using monoclonal antibodies and electron microscopy demonstrated that radiation doses of 20 kGy did not alter cell-wall morphology or cell-surface antigenic epitopes. |
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