Abstract
Conclusions
Vaccinia virus is exceedingly stable, with an indicated half-life of many years at —70°C. It may lose virtually all infectivity (PFU) in the temperature range 56° to —20°C without loss in countable particles. In the range 37°C to —20°C the activation energy for the process is 14 K cal / mole, a value which is lower than that of most viruses and much lower than that for the reaction at 56°C. Apparently the process of degradation of the virus is quite different in the 2 temperature regions.
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