Electron optic aspects of sonically disintegrated influenza virus A(H1N1)

Purified influenza virus A(H1N1) was sonicated in a continuous flow Ultrasonics F600 device at 20 kHz, 600 W. Electron optic examination of samples collected at different time intervals revealed morphologic alterations of the virus particles, gradually increasing in intensity: detachment of surface components, disruption of the viral corpuscles and of their constitutive elements, appearance of ghosts and of clustered viral components different in size and orientation.