Effect of various detergents on the interaction between BK virus and susceptible cells.

The activity of various types of detergents towards the infectivity and the hemagglutinating activity of BK virus was studied. Similarly to other non enveloped small viruses, BK virus showed a significant resistance to non cytotoxic concentrations of the compounds tested, with the exception of N-Dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propane-sulfonate. In some cases, mainly with N-Octylglucoside, both the infectivity and the hemagglutinating activity of BK virus was enhanced.