Thermostability of Newcastle disease virus strains of different virulence

The thermal inactivation rate constant for infectivity of a total of 24 Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains was determined at 50 degrees and 56 degrees C. The greater part of the examined NDV strains were found, irrespective of virulence properties, to be thermostable, since the loss of infectivity titre did not exceed 2 logarithmic orders after exposure at 50 degrees C for 60 minutes. Thermostable (I+) and thermolabile (I minus) strains with respect to infectivity were uniformly encountered among the 12 avirulent (lentogenic) and 10 fully virulent (velogenic) strains studied. Strains with both heat stable (Ha+) and heat labile (Ha minus) haemagglutinin were found in the lentogenic group, whereas haemagglutinins of all examined velogenic strains were heat stable. On the basis of I/Ha character, i.e. combination of thermosensitivity of infectivity and haemagglutinin, all examined strains could be classified into one of three categories: I minus Ha minus (8 lentogenic strains), I+Ha+ (4 lentogenic and 7 velogenic strains) and I minus Ha+ (2 mesogenic and 3 velogenic strains). The possible fourth combination, I+Ha+ minus, was not encountered among the strains studied. Determination of the I/Ha character may be helpful in clarifying the origin of a lentogenic NDV strain.