Seeding activity assay and bioassay of test steel wires used as model carriers for prion disinfection.

Test wires contaminated with 10−1-diluted 263K scrapie brain homogenate carried an initial infectivity load of approximately 3×105 LD50i.c.imp/wire, and reference wires contaminated with 10−1-, 10−2-, 10−3-, 10−4, 10−5-, 10−6, 10−7- and 10−8-diluted 263K scrapie brain homogenate carried 3×105-, 3×104-, 3×103-, 3×102-, 3×101-, 3×100-, 3×10−1- or 3×10−2 LD50i.c.imp/wire, respectively [29]. Reduction of prion infectivity on test wires is expressed in log10 units (logs). Explanation of abbreviations: neutrl. – neutralized; UD - undetectable. Explanation of symbols:#Test limit of bioassay for titre reduction: 5.5 logs [29];†, ‡Previously published bioassay results ([29]†[22]‡).¶Bioassay results from this work (see Table S1 and Table S2).