Reducing viral contamination from finger pads: handwashing is more effective than alcohol-based hand disinfectants - 06/06/15
, M. Koopmans b, c, M.H. Zwietering a, E. Duizer b, R.R. Beumer aSummary |
Background |
Hand hygiene is important for interrupting transmission of viruses through hands. Effectiveness of alcohol-based hand disinfectant has been shown for bacteria but their effectiveness in reducing transmission of viruses is ambiguous.
Aim |
To test efficacy of alcohol hand disinfectant against human enteric and respiratory viruses and to compare efficacy of an alcohol-based hand disinfectant and handwashing with soap and water against norovirus.
Methods |
Efficacies of a propanol and an ethanol-based hand disinfectant against human enteric and respiratory viruses were tested in carrier tests. Efficacy of an alcohol-based hand disinfectant and handwashing with soap and water against noroviruses GI.4, GII.4, and MNV1 were tested using finger pad tests.
Findings |
The alcohol-based hand disinfectant reduced the infectivity of rotavirus and influenza A virus completely within 30s whereas poliovirus Sabin 1, adenovirus type 5, parechovirus 1, and MNV1 infectivity were reduced <3log10 within 3min. MNV1 infectivity reduction by washing hands with soap and water for 30s (>3.0 ± 0.4log10) was significantly higher than treating hands with alcohol (2.8 ± 1.5log10). Washing with soap and water for 30s removed genomic copies of MNV1 (>5log10), noroviruses GI.4 (>6log10), and GII.4 (4log10) completely from all finger pads. Treating hands with propanol-based hand disinfectant showed little or no reduction to complete reduction with mean genomic copy reduction of noroviruses GI.4, GII.4, and MNV1 being >2.6, >3.3, and >1.2log10 polymerase chain reaction units respectively.
Conclusions |
Washing hands with soap and water is better than using alcohol-based hand disinfectants in removing noroviruses from hands.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Carrier test, Enteric virus, Finger pad test, Foodborne viruses, Hand disinfection, Norovirus, Respiratory viruses
Plan
Vol 90 - N° 3
P. 226-234 - juillet 2015 Retour au numéro
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