Inactivation of human T-lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus by formaldehyde-based reagents

Neutral buffered Formalin, a fixative used in most pathology laboratories, was found to inactivate human T-lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus. Preparations containing this virus with infectivity titers of greater than 10(5) were treated with 1% or greater neutral buffered Formalin; after treatment, virus was undetectable (titer, less than 10(1)). In addition, when infected phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes were treated with paraformaldehyde, transmission of the virus to other such lymphocytes was eliminated.