Survival rate of Suid herpesvirus (SuHV-1, Aujeszky's disease virus, ADV) in composted sewage sludge

Sewage sludge constitutes a source of valuable biogenic raw materials, but it is a carrier of many pathogenic microorganisms and viruses. Subjected to an effective sanitization by means of the process of composting, it is suitable to use in agriculture as fertilizers. The aim of this study was to observe the survival rate of Suid Herpesvirus under the influence of the temperature alone (water bath) as well as in sewage sludge subjected to the process of composting (pile). The samples were taken at different time intervals, and the virus titres were determined. The viruses survived considerably longer under laboratory conditions: at 30 degrees C as long as 21 days, at 40 degrees C - 93 hours, and at 50 degrees C - less than an hour. In the compost pile, in spite of the lack of the thermophylic phase, the total survival time of the viruses ranged from 34 to 44.5 hours, which indicates the vast importance of other physicochemical factors, apart from the temperature, contributing to virus inactivation.