Gamma irradiation alters bluetongue virus protein antigen.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) antigen, prepared for a monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C-ELISA), was exposed to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Mrad of gamma irradiation. The major group-specific BTV protein (VP7) reactive with the Mab was altered at higher doses of radiation, as revealed by immunoblotting studies. As well, a reduction in immunoreactivity was noted when irradiated antigen was used in the ELISA.

Immunogenicity of bluetongue virus inactivated by gamma irradiation.

The immunogenicity of vaccines prepared from bluetongue viruses inactivated by gamma irradiation was tested by their ability to stimulate the production of neutralizing antibody in mice. Antibody titres induced by monovalent and polyvalent vaccines, vaccines prepared from virus produced in mice and cell cultures and vaccines containing virus exposed to six, eight and ten megarads of irradiation indicated that immunogenicity was not adversely affected by the inactivation procedure. The results suggest that gamma irradiation would be an effective means of inactivating bluetongue virus without affecting antigenic determinants for neutralizing antibody.

Immune response of mice and sheep to bluetongue virus inactivated by gamma irradiation.

Gamma irradiation is being tested as a means of inactivating bluetongue virus (BTV) for use in vaccines. Exposure of BTV 17 to various levels of irradiation revealed that a dose of approximately 0.6 megarad was required to reduce the virus titer by one log10, or 90%. To test the immunogenicity of irradiated BTV, mouse brain passaged virus and concentrated cell culture passaged virus were inactivated by 6 megarads of gamma irradiation, and vaccines were prepared by emulsifying the virus preparations in equal volumes of a modified incomplete Freund's adjuvant. These vaccines stimulated the production of neutralizing antibodies in mice and sheep, a cell mediated immune response in mice, and a protective immune response in sheep. The results suggest that gamma irradiation would be an effective means of inactivating BTV for the preparation of vaccines.

Inactivation by gamma irradiation of animal viruses in simulated laboratory effluent.

Several animal viruses were treated with gamma radiation from a 60Co source under conditions which might be found in effluent from an animal disease laboratory. Swine vesicular disease virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and blue-tongue virus were irradiated in tissues from experimentally infected animals. Pseudorabies virus, fowl plague virus, swine vesicular disease virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus were irradiated in liquid animal feces. All were tested in animals and in vitro. The D10 values, that is, the doses required to reduce infectivity by 1 log10, were not apparently different from those expected from predictions based on other data and theoretical considerations. The existence of the viruses in pieces of tissue or in liquid feces made no difference in the efficacy of the gamma radiation for inactivating them. Under the "worst case" conditions (most protective for virus) simulated in this study, no infectious agents would survive 4.0 Mrads.