scholarly journals UV-C light completely blocks highly contagious Delta SARS-CoV-2 aerosol transmission in hamsters

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Fischer ◽  
Julia Rebecca Port ◽  
Myndi Holbrook ◽  
Kwe Claude Yinda ◽  
Martin Creusen ◽  
...  

Behavioral and medical control measures are not effective in containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Here we report on the effectiveness of a preemptive environmental strategy using UV-C light to prevent airborne transmission of the virus in a hamster model and show that UV-C exposure completely prevents airborne transmission between individuals.

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Hazel R O'Mahony ◽  
Daniel S Martin

Guidance regarding appropriate use of personal protective equipment in hospitals is in constant flux as research into SARS-COV-2 transmission continues to develop our understanding of the virus. The risk associated with procedures classed as ‘aerosol generating’ is under constant debate. Current guidance is largely based on pragmatic and cautious logic, as there is little scientific evidence of aerosolization and transmission of respiratory viruses associated with procedures. The physical properties of aerosol particles which may contain viable virus have implications for the safe use of personal protective equipment and infection control protocols. As elective work in the NHS is reinstated, it is important that the implications of the possibility of airborne transmission of the virus in hospitals are more widely understood. This will facilitate appropriate use of personal protective equipment and help direct further research into the true risks of aerosolization during these procedures to allow safe streamlining of services for staff and patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brahmaiah Pendyala ◽  
Ankit Patras

Epidemic and pandemic infectious diseases caused by RNA viruses constitute a significant hazard to human and animal health. Disinfection is an essential aspect of infection prevention and control measures. In this study, we estimated UV-C sensitivity of 83 human and veterinary pathogenic (+) ssRNA viruses by developed pyrimidine dinucleotide frequency-based genomic model. The data showed that the avian infectious bronchitis virus (genus: γ-coronavirus) with an estimated D90 value of 17.8 J/m2 was highly UV sensitive, whereas Salivirus NG-J1 (genus: salivirus) with a D90 value of 346.4 J/m2 was highly UV resistant. Overall, the trend of UV-C sensitivity of (+) ssRNA virus families followed as Coronaviridae < Flaviviridae < Togadoviridae < Arteriviridae, Matonaviridae, Astroviridae < Caciviridae < Picornaviridae < Nodaviridae < Herpeviridae. The results revealed that the enveloped viral families (Coronaviridae, Flaviviridae, Togadoviridae Arteriviridae, and Matonaviridae) are more UV-C sensitive than other non-enveloped families. Further validation of the model estimated UV sensitivity with literature available experimental data showed good agreement of predicted values. The estimates presented here could make it possible to reasonably predict UV-C disinfection efficiency of human and veterinary pathogenic viruses, which need specific biosafety requirements and/or difficult to cultivate in lab conditions.


COVID ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-607
Author(s):  
Richard A. Bowen ◽  
Peter Gilgunn ◽  
Airn E. Hartwig ◽  
Jeff Mullen

SARS-CoV-2 is frequently transmitted by aerosol, and the sterilization of the virus in airflows has numerous potential applications. We evaluated a UV-C illuminator similar to what might be incorporated into tubing of a mechanical ventilator for its ability to block transmission of the airborne virus from infected to naïve hamsters. Hamsters protected by the UV system were consistently protected from infection, whereas non-protected hamsters uniformly became infected and displayed virus shedding and high burdens of virus in respiratory tissues. The efficiency and speed with which the virus in flowing air was inactivated using this system suggests several applications for mitigating transmission of this virus.


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 1666-1669 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. McDevitt ◽  
Stephen N. Rudnick ◽  
Lewis J. Radonovich

ABSTRACTThe person-to-person transmission of influenza virus, especially in the event of a pandemic caused by a highly virulent strain of influenza, such as H5N1 avian influenza, is of great concern due to widespread mortality and morbidity. The consequences of seasonal influenza are also substantial. Because airborne transmission appears to play a role in the spread of influenza, public health interventions should focus on preventing or interrupting this process. Air disinfection via upper-room 254-nm germicidal UV (UV-C) light in public buildings may be able to reduce influenza transmission via the airborne route. We characterized the susceptibility of influenza A virus (H1N1, PR-8) aerosols to UV-C light using a benchtop chamber equipped with a UVC exposure window. We evaluated virus susceptibility to UV-C doses ranging from 4 to 12 J/m2at three relative humidity levels (25, 50, and 75%). Our data show that the Z values (susceptibility factors) were higher (more susceptible) to UV-C than what has been reported previously. Furthermore, dose-response plots showed that influenza virus susceptibility increases with decreasing relative humidity. This work provides an essential scientific basis for designing and utilizing effective upper-room UV-C light installations for the prevention of the airborne transmission of influenza by characterizing its susceptibility to UV-C.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Grossi ◽  
Rafik Dey ◽  
Nicholas Ashbolt

Legionella pneumophila is an increasingly recognized threat to public health via aerosol exposures; with a variety of control measures including: water temperature/flow management and free chlorine used to reduce the risk of infection within healthcare centers. Despite these efforts, L. pneumophila often recolonizes plumbing systems after specific treatments, which prompted us to examine ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for a point-of-use, secondary control measure. Currently, there is no data on the efficacy of high (>254 nm) wavelength UV-C (100–280 nm) light inactivation of L. pneumophila with resuscitation of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells. We report for the first time L. pneumophila dose-responses for 268.6 nm and 288.6 nm UV-C, as compared to 256 nm, and demonstrate UV induced VBNC L. pneumophila remaining infectious to Acanthamoeba polyphaga during co-culture experiments. Findings were correlated to molecular-based activity assays to identify additional measures of L. pneumophila viability following UV disinfection compared to culture. A collection of viability markers may provide a more representative measure of risk compared to current culture-based detection, since UV-C irradiated L. pneumophila lose culturability, yet retain activity, increased ATP production, and the ability to be resuscitated by amoeba co-culture. This finding is significant as it identifies potential concern from VBNC cells following UV-C disinfection and the need for further research into the efficacy of UV inactivation as a point-of-use application for L. pneumophila control and management.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 655
Author(s):  
Jeong Yeon Lee ◽  
So Young Yang ◽  
Ki Sun Yoon

We investigated the combined effect of using slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW), ultrasounds (US), and ultraviolet-C light-emitting diodes (UV-C LED; 275 nm) for decreasing pathogenic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (SEA) in fresh-cut vegetables, including carrots, celery, paprika, and cabbage. Survival of pathogenic E. coli and SEA and quality properties of fresh-cut vegetables at 5 and 15 °C for 7 days were also investigated. When combined treatment (SAEW + US + UV-C LED) was applied to fresh-cut vegetables for 3 min, its microbial reduction effect was significantly higher (0.97~2.17 log CFU/g) than a single treatment (p < 0.05). Overall, the reduction effect was more significant for SEA than for pathogenic E. coli. At 5 °C, SAEW + US and SAEW + US + UV-C LED treatments reduced populations of pathogenic E. coli and SEA in all vegetables. At 15 °C, SAEW + US + UV-C LED treatment inhibited the growth of both pathogens in carrot and celery and extended the shelf life of fresh-cut vegetables by preventing color changes in all vegetables. Although the effects of treatments varied depending on the characteristics of the vegetables and pathogens, UV-C LED can be suggested as a new hurdle technology in fresh-cut vegetable industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88
Author(s):  
Achintya Ray

COVID-19 was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China; however, it took international health experts another six months to establish the airborne nature of transmission of the disease. The transmission of the infection through aerosolized virus particles opens a new frontier in global pandemic control initiatives. It necessitates the need for appropriate economic policies to end the COVID-19 recession in most parts of the world. Mass vaccination and herd immunity are potent tools in combatting the challenge of COVID-19. Global vaccination against the disease is also gaining momentum. However, new variants and infection surges threaten to undermine critical gains. Furthermore, complete vaccination of the world population may be many years away. Therefore, it is essential to design public policies and business strategies in a world of great uncertainty. Understanding the airborne transmission of coronavirus will help business leaders craft meaningful operational procedures to protect their stakeholders and minimize costly business disruptions. It will also help the policymakers to avoid economically costly lockdowns. International success in indoor air purification, outdoor air pollution mitigation, widespread adoption of hand hygiene, and universal mask usage can significantly help pandemic control and increase the efficacy of various pandemic control measures. Controlling the pandemic may help countries in opening their economies and kickstarting global travel in the post-COVID-19 world. Such actions may also help in lessening the global burden of many other respiratory diseases. They may, in turn, save countless lives while dramatically reducing premature deaths. Such health gains may be conducive towards boosting GDP, decreasing healthcare costs, increasing productivity, and improving health equities. Controlling the COVID-19 pandemic remains the prime directive of all global public policy measures. Investments in aerosolized virus particle transmission mitigation offer a unique opportunity to achieve health improvement goals whose positive impacts may remain potent for generations to come.


2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 01098
Author(s):  
Kaho Hashimoto ◽  
Zhengtao Ai ◽  
Arsen Melikov

Past studies on airborne spread of expiratory droplet nuclei between occupants were focused on long-term exposure under steady-state conditions. However, exposure during short-term events can be widely found in practice, e.g. medical examination or short meeting. Airborne transmission during short-term events under stratum ventilation was examined experimentally in this study. Two breathing thermal manikins were employed to simulate a standing infected person and a standing exposed person. The manikins were placed face-to-face and face-to-back to reproduce the exposure conditions with the highest and the lowest risk, respectively. Tracer gas was dosed into the air exhaled by the “infected” manikin to simulate the droplet nuclei. A newly developed average exposure index was used to evaluate the exposure risk. The time-averaged exposure index increases over time, but the increasing rate depends strongly on the duration of exposure time, e.g., the exposure index increases much faster during the first 5 minutes than during the period after 5 minutes. The exposure index during short-term events does not always decrease with the increase of separation distance. These findings imply that the control measures formulated based on steady-state conditions are not necessarily effective to short-term events.


2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A613-A613
Author(s):  
T IKEGAMI ◽  
P LATHAM ◽  
K KOBAYASHI ◽  
K ARIMORI ◽  
B BOUSCAREL

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