3-Methyl-4-chlorophenol for prion decontamination of medical devices.

Disinfectants containing 3-methyl-4-chlorophenol were tested for their capacity to inactivate the infectious agent of scrapie. Coincubation of brain homogenates prepared from terminally ill scrapie-infected hamsters with the disinfectants rendered the prion protein PrP(Sc) sensitive to proteinase K digestion. Inoculation of hamsters with disinfectant-treated samples indicated a reduction in infectivity levels to below the limit of detection.