Evaluation of copper alloy surfaces for inactivation of Tulane virus, a human norovirus surrogate, and human noroviruses.
Abstract
This study evaluated the efficacy of copper alloy surfaces for inactivation of Tulane
virus, a human norovirus surrogate, using plaque assay and porcine gastric mucin-
conjugated magnetic beads (PGM-MB) binding assay followed by quantitative reverse
transcription-PCR (PGM-MB/PCR assay). Additionally, the sensitivities of human
norovirus GII.4 Sydney and GI.3B Potsdam strains to copper alloy surfaces were
assessed using PGM-MB/PCR assay. Time-dependent inactivation of viruses on copper
alloy coupons revealed that, for Tulane virus, 15 min of copper alloy surface treatments
achieved more than 4-log reductions, as assessed by plaque assay, while up to 20 min of
copper alloy surface treatments only achieved ~2-log reductions, as assessed by PGM-
MB/PCR assay. As assessed by PGM-MB/PCR assay, 10 min of copper surface
treatments achieved reductions of 3 and 4 log units for human norovirus GII.4 Sydney
and GI.3B Potsdam, respectively. Results from this study suggest that even though PGM-
MB/PCR assay underestimated the efficacy of copper alloy surface inactivation of Tulane
virus, copper alloys could effectively inactivate Tulane virus and human noroviruses.
Therefore, copper alloys can be used as a preventive measure to prevent human norovirus
infection and an effective surface treatment for human noroviruses.
Subject
Microbiology
Norovirus