Destructive effect of heating against toxoplasma oocysts.

Heating was examined for destructive effect against Toxoplasma oocysts, both unsporulated and sporulated, of the O-1 and O-3 strains. Sporulation-inhibition rates were measured by counting sporulated and unsporulated oocysts in each examination. As a result, the sporulation of Toxoplasma oocysts was completely inhibited by exposure to 60 or 70 degrees C for 10 seconds, 55 degrees C for 30 seconds, 50 degrees C for 2.5 minutes. 45 degrees C for 1 hour, or 37 degrees C for 48 hours. When examined by the mouse inoculation method, the infectivity of sporulated oocysts became extinct after heating at 90 degrees C for 30 seconds, 80 degrees C for 1 minute, 70 degrees C for 2 minutes, 55 or 60 degrees C for 15 minutes, or 50 degrees C for 30 minutes. It was confirmed that heating was effective for the sterilization of Toxoplasma oocysts.