Virus survival on inanimate surfaces

Our plain-English summary of Virus survival on inanimate surfaces, by M.C. Mahl, C. Sadler (Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 1975).

The study

• Authors: M.C. Mahl, C. Sadler
• Journal: Canadian Journal of Microbiology
• Published: 1975;21(6):819-23
• Cited by: 61 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The persistence of several types of viruses on hard, inanimate surfaces under different relative humidities, temperatures, and types of surfaces was investigated. No differences in survival on glass, vinyl asbestos tile, ceramic tile, and stainless steel were found. Under conditions of low humidity and room temperature, adenovirus, poliovirus, and herpes simplex virus survived for at least 8 weeks. Vaccinia and coxsackie viruses survived for at least 2 weeks but differences due to surfaces found in many environments, in addition to the laboratory, emphasizes the possible role of hard surfaces in the transmission of viruses.

In plain English

This was a laboratory experiment on how long viruses stay alive on hard surfaces. It was not a study of asbestos and health; vinyl asbestos floor tile was simply one test surface. In a preliminary test at 37°C, the authors placed adenovirus type 2 on glass, vinyl asbestos floor tile, ceramic tile and stainless steel. There it lasted at least 8 weeks at low humidity but under 1 week in the dark at high humidity. Surface type was not shown to be critical, so later tests used glass only. Five viruses were then tested at 25°C and 37°C and at three humidities. Adenovirus type 2, followed for 12 weeks, could still be recovered at low humidity. Herpes simplex virus and poliovirus type 2 survived at least 8 weeks under low humidity. The Results said vaccinia and coxsackievirus B3 survived 3 to 4 weeks, with no humidity effect seen, though the article's abstract said at least 2 weeks. The authors concluded that long survival on common surfaces points to a possible role of hard surfaces in spreading viruses.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: laboratory experiment on virus survival on surfaces under different humidities and temperatures
• Who was studied: No people were studied. Five laboratory virus strains were tested: poliovirus type 2 (MEF-1 strain), vaccinia virus (Lederle strain), adenovirus type 2, coxsackie B3, and herpes simplex virus type 1 (macroplaque strain). They were tested at 25°C and 37°C and at three relative humidities.
• Exposure: No human asbestos exposure was studied. Vinyl asbestos floor tile was one of four test surfaces, alongside glass, ceramic tile and stainless steel. Only adenovirus type 2 was tested on these surfaces, in a preliminary test at 37°C. The article does not name the type of asbestos in the tile.
• Main results:
  • The preliminary surface test of adenovirus type 2 was done at 37°C, under light and dark conditions and two humidities.
  • In the preliminary test, adenovirus type 2 survived at least 8 weeks at low humidity, but less than 1 week in the dark at high humidity.
  • Type of surface was not shown to be critical for adenovirus type 2, so later tests used glass only.
  • On glass, adenovirus type 2 was followed for 12 weeks and could still be recovered at low humidity.
  • Herpes simplex virus and poliovirus type 2 survived at least 8 weeks under low humidity.
  • The Results say vaccinia and coxsackievirus B3 survived 3 to 4 weeks, and no effect of humidity was seen for them.
  • The article's own abstract gives a different figure for these two viruses: at least 2 weeks.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the long survival of viruses on common surfaces points to a possible role of hard surfaces in spreading viruses.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Light appeared to affect survival in a preliminary trial. The authors left light out of the rest of the study because they could not properly measure and monitor its intensity.

Related studies

• Modified membrane-filter procedure for concentration of enteroviruses from tap water — P.A. Shields, S.A. Berenfeld, et al. (1985)
• Detection of virus in water: sensitivity of the tentative standard method for drinking water — W.F. Hill, W. Jakubowski, et al. (1976)
• Use of protamine to augment adenovirus-mediated cancer gene therapy — M. Lanuti, C.E. Kouri, et al. (1999)
• Complete regression of human malignant mesothelioma xenografts following local injection of midkine promoter-driven oncolytic adenovirus — S. Kubo, Y. Kawasaki, et al. (2010)
• Efficacy of repeated adenoviral suicide gene therapy in a localized murine tumor model — E.S. Lambright, S.D. Force, et al. (2000)
• Free radical activity associated with the surface of particles: a unifying factor in determining biological activity? — K. Donaldson, P.H. Beswick, et al. (1996)

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