Journal of Microbial & Biochemical Technology

Abstract

Inactivation and Disinfection of Zika Virus on a Nonporous Surface

Cameron Wilde, Zheng Chen, Tanya Kapes, Cory Chiossone, Salimatu Lukula, Donna Suchmann, Raymond Nims and S Steve Zhou

The zika virus (ZIKV), an emergent arbovirus within the flavivirus family, is of public health concern due to the lack of a vaccine and possibility of teratogenic effects in infected pregnant women. The flaviviruses are enveloped, and it might be expected that inactivation methods for enveloped viruses in general might be effective for ZIKV. We have investigated a number of physical and chemical inactivation approaches using both low protein (5% serum) and 90% blood organic loads present during drying of virus onto carriers. ZIKV in 90% blood displayed ~0.06 log10 per hour inactivation over 8 h, while virus in 5% serum was inactivated at a much higher rate (~0.5 log10 per h). ZIKV was susceptible to dry heat treatment (56°C–60°C) when dried in 5% serum, but less so when dried in 90% blood. A quaternary ammonium/alcohol-based product and 70% isopropyl alcohol caused complete (>3.5 and >5 log10, respectively) inactivation of ZIKV in 15 s regardless of the organic load. Efficacy of inactivation of ZIKV by chlorine was highly dependent on the organic load at time of drying, with complete (>4 log10) inactivation being observed in 15 s by 500 ppm chlorine at 5% serum. Inactivation in the presence of 90% blood required 5,000 ppm chlorine to achieve >2 log10 inactivation, and 10,000 ppm chlorine to achieve >3 log10. Peracetic acid (1,000 ppm) inactivation also displayed a striking dependence on organic load, with complete (>4 log10) inactivation observed in 15 s at 5% serum and <1.5 log10 reduction in 5 minutes in a 90% blood matrix. When suspended in solutions of pH 4.0 or pH 10.0 at time of drying, ZIKV displayed <1.5 log10 reduction in 5 min, regardless of organic load. In conclusion, ZIKV displays susceptibility to commonly employed disinfectants similar to that of other flaviviruses.