1. Cytomegalovirus survival on common environmental surfaces: opportunities for viral transmission.
- Author
-
Stowell JD, Forlin-Passoni D, Din E, Radford K, Brown D, White A, Bate SL, Dollard SC, Bialek SR, Cannon MJ, and Schmid DS
- Subjects
- Cytomegalovirus physiology, Cytomegalovirus Infections microbiology, Glass, Humans, Microbial Viability, Plastics, Rubber, Saliva chemistry, Steel, Surface Properties, Time Factors, Virus Cultivation, Wood virology, Cytomegalovirus isolation & purification, Cytomegalovirus Infections transmission, DNA, Viral analysis, Disease Reservoirs, Saliva virology
- Abstract
Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) affects ~1 of 150 births and is a leading cause of hearing loss and intellectual disability. It has been suggested that transmission may occur via contaminated surfaces. CMV AD169 in filtered human saliva, applied to environmental surfaces, was recovered at various time points. Samples were evaluated by culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction. CMV was found viable on metal and wood to 1 hour, glass and plastic to 3 hours, and rubber, cloth, and cracker to 6 hours. CMV was cultured from 83 of 90 wet and 5 of 40 dry surfaces. CMV was more likely to be isolated from wet, highly absorbent surfaces at earlier time points.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF