Comparison of the morphological alteration and disintegration test (MADT) and the chimpanzee infectivity test for determination of hepatitis B virucidal activity of chemical disinfectants.

The morphological alteration and disintegration test (MADT) as a key indicator for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) inactivation was compared with the chimpanzee infectivity test using three suspensions of HBV differing in the degree of inactivation as judged by electronmicroscopic studies. The results of the MADT and the chimpanzee studies correlated well. Thus, the MADT, evidently, can replace the laborious, costly and time-consuming animal studies for the evaluation of chemical disinfectants for hepatovirucidal activity.