The thermal death time curve for foot-and-mouth disease virus contained in primarily infected milk.

Whole and skim milk obtained from cows after intramammary and intravenous inoculation with foot-and-mouth disease virus (primarily infected milk) were exposed to various temperatures ranging from 80 to 148 degrees C for various times ranging from 2.5 s to 27 min then tested for viral infectivity. The average pretreatment titre of the 53 lots of milk used was 10(5.9) plaque-forming units of virus per millilitre 10(3.7)-10(6.8)). A thermal death time curve was plotted using the data obtained. The curve demonstrates that in order to inactivate the virus, times of over 20 min are necessary at 'low' temperatures (100 degrees C) while 2.5 s is sufficient at a temperature of 148 degrees C.