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Resuspension of Seeded Particles Containing Live Influenza A Virus in a Full-Scale Laboratory

Authors :
Mahender Singh Rawat
Alan D. Roberts
Deborah M. Brown
Andrea R. Ferro
Source :
Buildings, Vol 13, Iss 7, p 1734 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Many respiratory viruses, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2, are transmitted via the emission and inhalation of infectious respiratory aerosols in indoor environments. Resuspended particles from indoor surfaces and clothing can be a major source of airborne microbiological contaminants in indoor environments; however, it is unknown whether resuspended viruses contribute substantially to disease transmission. In this study, we investigated the resuspension via human walking activity of influenza A virus H3N2 laboratory strain, which was generated through a nebulizer into a sealed, unventilated biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) laboratory. The mean airborne viral concentrations following the resuspension events (3.7×103 viral RNA copies m−3) were two orders of magnitude lower than those following direct emission via the nebulizer (1.1×105 viral RNA copies m−3). The calculated resuspension emission factor (normalized ratio of the airborne mass to mass available for resuspension on the surface) of 10−3 was similar to reported values for 1–2 μm particles. Thus, depending on the infectious dose and viability of the virus, resuspension of settled respiratory viruses could lead to transmission, but the risk appears to be much lower than for direct respiratory emissions. To our knowledge, this is the first full-scale experimental study designed to quantify virus resuspension.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
13071734 and 20755309
Volume :
13
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Buildings
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.f10694fc27a4b2da52912d637a671b6
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071734