Effects of Temperature and pH on Survival of Free Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus of Autographa californica.

The effects of temperature and low pH on replication and survival of nonoccluded Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus were investigated. No virus replication or formation of polynuclear inclusion bodies occurred at 37 degrees C. The virus was immediately inactivated upon exposure to pH 2.0 and was inactivated within 1 h at pH 4.0. The virus titer slowly declined, a 3-orders of magnitude reduction in virus titer, at pH 5.0 during a 4-h exposure. Virus survival at pH 6.0 was equal to that of the control in cell culture medium 199 MK (pH 7.12).