Spiking mortality of turkey poults: 2. Effect of six different in vitro disinfection techniques on organ homogenates capable of reproducing SMT.

Spiking mortality of turkeys (SMT) is an infectious disease of 5-to-25-day-old turkey poults characterized by acute enteritis and bursal and thymic atrophy. It is reproducible by exposure to organ homogenates or contaminated litter. We studied methods potentially useful for decontamination of turkey houses contaminated with SMT. Organ homogenates capable of producing SMT and containing turkey intestinal coronavirus were exposed in vitro for 5 hr to either 5.0% NaCl, pH 2.0, pH 12, 1.0% formaldehyde, 57 C, or lyophilization. Results were assessed by oral gavage of treated inocula into 1-day-old turkeys and measurement of subsequent coronavirus shedding, growth rate, feed conversion, and mortality from 1 to 21 days of age. Formaldehyde treatment rendered the inoculum nonpathogenic, whereas other treatments failed to ameliorate its negative effects.