Studies of the Suitability of Fowlpox as a Decontamination and Thermal Stability Simulant for Variola Major

Abstract

Variola major, the causative agent of smallpox, has been eradicated from nature. However, stocks still exist; thus, there is a need for relevant decontamination studies, preferably with nonpathogenic simulants. Previous studies have shown a similarity in response of vaccinia virus and variola major to various decontaminants and thermal inactivation. This study compared vaccinia and fowlpox viruses under similar conditions, using disinfectants and temperatures for which variola major data already existed. Most disinfectants showed similar efficacy against vaccinia and fowlpox, suggesting the utility of fowlpox as a decontamination simulant. Inactivation kinetics studies showed that fowlpox behaved similarly to variola major when treated with 0.1% iodine and 5.7% polyethyleneglycol nonylphenyl ether, 0.025% sodium hypochlorite, 0.05% sodium hypochlorite, and 0.1% cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and 0.05% benzalkonium chloride, but differed in its response to 0.05% iodine and 0.3% polyethyleneglycol nonylphenyl ether and 40% ethanol. Thermal inactivation studies demonstrated that fowlpox is a suitable thermal simulant for variola major between 40°C and 55°C.

Disease surveillance in England and Wales, August 2022

“…Avian pox viruses can survive in the environment so thorough cleaning and disinfection of housing is needed to help limit a disease outbreak. Chambers and colleagues identified a range of disinfectants that are effective in laboratory conditions 5 . However, disinfectants can be less effective if areas are soiled and so cleaning is a very important first step to ensure that disinfection is as effective as possible.…”

Recurring Outbreaks of Fowl Pox in a Poultry Farm in Nsukka, Southeast Nigeria

“…Poxviruses are large, double stranded DNA viruses that multiply in the cytoplasm of the host cell. They are the largest animal virus, with a brick shape, ranging in size from 200 to 400nm long and 170 to 200nm wide (Chambers et al, 2009).Avian pox has been described in chickens, pigeons, ostriches, quails, pheasants, canaries, and a lot of other avian species (Afonsoet al, 2000;Silva et al, 2009). Two forms of the disease are associated with different routes of infection (Afonsoet al, 2000).…”

Efficacy of fowl pox vaccines against Egyptian isolated strain during 2012

“…Pox viruses are classified into two categories entomopox (insect infecting) and chordopox (vertebrate infecting). The chordopox viruses are further divided into eight categories, including orthopox, which includes variola major and vaccinia virus and avipox, which include fowlpox virus (FPV) [5]. The shape of pox viruses resembles a brick [6].…”