Poster Presenter

Inactivation of Influenza A Virus H1N1 by Disinfection Process
Eun Kyo Jeong, Jung Eun Bae and In Seop Kim
Korea

The first pandemic of the 21st century, caused by a recently emerged novel influenza virus, continues to spread globally. The virus was identified to be a swine-origin influenza virus A H1N1. Since any patient, healthcare worker, or visitor is capable of transmitting the influenza virus to susceptible persons within hospitals, hospital-acquired influenza has been a clinical concern. Disinfection of medical equipments and surgical instruments is an important measure to prevent transmission of influenza virus from hospitals to person. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of disinfection processes such as 0.1 M NaOH, 70% ethanol, 70% 1-propanol, and solvent/detergent (S/D) using 0.3% tri (n-butyl) phosphate and 1.0% Triton X-100, and heat treatments in inactivating influenza A virus H1N1. In this study, influenza A virus H1N1 strain A/NWS/33 (H1N1) was chosen as the model of pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza virus. H1N1 was effectively inactivated to undetectable level within one minute treatment of 0.1 M NaOH, 70% ethanol, 70% 1-propanol, and S/D. Also H1N1 was inactivated to undetectable level within five minutes of heat treatment at 70, 80, and 90?. These results would be helpful in implementing effective disinfecting measures to prevent hospital acquired infections.

This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science Technology (MEST) and Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) through the Human Resources Training Project for Regional Innovation and by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) and Korea Industrial Technology Foundation (KOTEF) through the Human Resource Training Project for Strategic Technology.