Studies in tissue culture on the pH-stability of rinderpest virus

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Abstract
The pH-stability of three strains of rinderpest virus, propagated in tissue cultures, was investigated at 4°C. in veronal-acetate buffers (Michaelis) of pH 3·0–10·7.An attenuated laboratory strain, in its 95th culture passage (RBOK), showed maximal stability in the pH range 7·2–8·0, the half-life being about 3·7 days. It was relatively stable from pH 4·0 to 10·2, the half-life at the extremes of this range being over 2 hr. At pH 3·0 the infectivity declined very rapidly, the half-life period being 24·0 sec.One virulent strain (RGK/1) showed a significantly lower resistance than strain RBOK at pH 3/0, probably also at pH 5·0. The inactivation rates for these two strains were, however, not greatly different at pH 10·7. The other virulent strain (RBT/1) was even less stable than RGK/1 at pH 4·0 or 5·0 but of a comparable stability at pH 9·0 and 10·2.These findings are discussed in comparison with published data on the related viruses of measles and canine distemper. The importance of strain differences in studies of this kind is stressed.We are grateful to Mr C. S. Rampton, A.I.M.L.T., and Mr L. W. Rowe, F.I.M.L.T., for help in the preparation of the diagrams. This paper is published with the permission of Mr H. R. Binns, C.M.G., O.B.E., Director, E.A.V.R.O.