Abstract
The physico-chemical and biological characteristics of Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) are not yet known. The present study describes the thermal stability of this virus at different temperatures for different periods. The kinetics of thermal inactivation were studied, linear regressions were plotted, the Arrhenius equation was applied, and the activation energy was calculated accordingly. Titers of the residual virus were determined in median tissue culture infective dose (TCID50), and the rate of destruction of infectivity at various temperatures was determined. Infectivity of AHFV was completely lost upon heating for 3 minutes at 60 A degrees C and for 30 min at 56 A degrees C. However, the virus could maintain 33.2 % of its titer after heating for 60 min at 45 A degrees C and 32 % of its titer after heating for 60 min at 50 A degrees C. In conclusion, AHFV is thermo-labile, and its inactivation follows first-order kinetics.