Virucidal activity of a quaternary ammonium compound disinfectant against feline calicivirus: A surrogate for norovirus

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2005.11.009

American Journal of Infection Control

Volume 34, Issue 5, June 2006, Pages 269-273

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2005.11.009 Get rights and content

Background

Norovirus, formerly known as Norwalk virus, is an important cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in hospitals, food services, schools, and cruise ships. Infection control practices by using disinfectants to eliminate noroviruses from surfaces and environmental samples reduce the morbidity and spread of virus outbreaks. There are not many commercial disinfectants effective against norovirus. Noroviruses cannot be cultivated in vitro. However, feline calicivirus can be used as a surrogate to determine disinfectant efficacy against noroviruses. Feline calicivirus was used in a virucidal effectiveness test protocol as a surrogate for norovirus to determine the virucidal efficacy of R-82, a quaternary ammonium compound disinfectant cleaner.

Methods

Feline calicivirus suspensions containing at least 5% fetal bovine serum were dried on carriers and treated with 1:256 dilutions of R-82 disinfectant in water, with a hardness of 400 ppm as calcium carbonate, for 10 minutes. Hypochlorite concentrations of 100 ± 10 and 1000 ± 10 ppm, respectively, were also analyzed as internal control standards. After contact period, the test agents were neutralized with 2 mL of appropriate neutralizer, and mixtures were scraped from carrier surfaces with a cell scraper. Selected dilutions of the neutralized inoculum/test agent mixtures were added to cultured cell monolayers of appropriate host cells. Postincubation, the infectious feline calicivirus was scored microscopically by observing virus-specific cytopathic effects produced by replicating infectious virus. The performance criterion was a minimum of 4-log₁₀ reduction in cytopathic effects of feline calicivirus.

Results

After a 10-minute contact time, formulation R-82 diluted 1:256 showed a 6.6- and 6.4-log₁₀ reductions in cytopathic effects of feline calicivirus during initial and confirmatory testing, respectively, demonstrating complete inactivation of the virus. A hypochlorite solution of 1000 ppm exhibited similar log₁₀ reductions to the quaternary ammonium disinfectant, demonstrating the reproducibility of the protocol.

Conclusion

Formulation R-82, a quaternary ammonium compound, is a 1-step disinfectant cleaner, which exhibited virucidal activity against feline calicivirus suspensions dried on hard surface carriers. Surfaces are vectors for virus transmission during outbreaks by transferring the virus to people or other environmental surfaces. Therefore, treatment of contaminated surfaces with formulation R-82 will optimize disinfection of noncritical and critical surfaces in health care institutions, reducing the possibility of virus transmission during outbreaks.

Section snippets

Methods

All virology testing and feline calicivirus protocol development was performed at Microbiotest, Inc., Sterling, VA.

Results

The results for the initial testing of formulation R-82 against FCV are shown in Table 1. Each value shown for the samples treated with R-82 disinfectant cleaner is an average of 3 different batches performed in duplicate. After 10-minute contact time, a 1:256 dilution of formulation R-82 was capable of inactivating FCV on hard surface carriers in the presence of 5% organic soil. No virus was recovered in any of the plated dilutions as demonstrated by the lack of cytopathic effect in different

Discussion

One of the practices to control norovirus outbreaks and reduce the incidence of morbidity and transmission is to clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces and materials.15, 16 Infection control professionals must stop the virus outbreak by implementing thorough cleaning and disinfection procedures that will eliminate virus particles from surfaces and environmental samples. Surfaces can be efficient vectors for norovirus transmission.¹⁶ NV has been demonstrated to be transferred from

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Major ArticleVirucidal activity of a quaternary ammonium compound disinfectant against feline calicivirus: A surrogate for norovirus

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Discussion

J Food Prot

J Hosp Infect

J Hosp Infect

J Hosp Infect

J Hosp Infect

J Food Prot

J Infect

Molecular epidemiology of “Norwalk-like viruses” in outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the United States

J Infect Dis

Widespread environmental contamination with Norwalk-like viruses (NV) detected in a prolonged hotel outbreak of gastroenteritis

Epidemiol Infect

An outbreak of viral gastroenteritis following environmental contamination at a concert hall

Epidemiol Infect

Norwalk virus gastroenteritis aboard a cruise ship: an outbreak on five consecutive cruises

Am J Epidemiol

Norwalk virus-associated gastroenteritis traced to ice consumption aboard a cruise ship in Hawaii: comparison and application of molecular method-based assays

J Clin Microbiol

Major Article
Virucidal activity of a quaternary ammonium compound disinfectant against feline calicivirus: A surrogate for norovirus