Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1989 Dec;55(12):3113–3118. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.12.3113-3118.1989

In vivo protocol for testing efficacy of hand-washing agents against viruses and bacteria: experiments with rotavirus and Escherichia coli.

S A Ansari 1, S A Sattar 1, V S Springthorpe 1, G A Wells 1, W Tostowaryk 1
PMCID: PMC203232  PMID: 2559658

Abstract

Ten antiseptic formulations, an unmedicated liquid soap, and tap water alone were compared for their capacities to eliminate human rotavirus from the finger pads of adult volunteers; three of the antiseptics, the soap, and the tap water alone were also tested against Escherichia coli. A fecal suspension of virus or bacterium was placed on each finger pad and air dried. The contaminated site was exposed to the test product for 10 s, rinsed in tap water, and dried on a paper towel. The residual virus or bacterium was then eluted. Selected agents were also tested by an analogous whole-hand method by which the entire palm surfaces of both hands were contaminated. Alcohols (70%) alone or with Savlon reduced the virus titer by greater than 99%, whereas the reductions by Proviodine, Dettol, and Hibisol ranged from 95 to 97%. Aqueous solutions of chlorhexidine gluconate were significantly less effective for virus removal or inactivation than 70% alcohol solutions. Furthermore, Savlon in water (1:200) was found to be much less effective in eliminating the virus (80.6%) than the bacterium (98.9%). The tap water alone and the soap reduced the virus titers by 83.6 and 72.5% and the bacterial titers by 90 and 68.7%, respectively. The results of the whole-hand method agreed well with those of the finger pad protocol. We conclude that the finger pad method is a suitable model for testing the in vivo efficacy of hand-washing agents and emphasize the need for using appropriate test viruses and bacteria.

Full text

PDF
3113

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Albert R. K., Condie F. Hand-washing patterns in medical intensive-care units. N Engl J Med. 1981 Jun 11;304(24):1465–1466. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198106113042404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ansari S. A., Sattar S. A., Springthorpe V. S., Wells G. A., Tostowaryk W. Rotavirus survival on human hands and transfer of infectious virus to animate and nonporous inanimate surfaces. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Aug;26(8):1513–1518. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.8.1513-1518.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ayliffe G. A., Babb J. R., Davies J. G., Lilly H. A. Hand disinfection: a comparison of various agents in laboratory and ward studies. J Hosp Infect. 1988 Apr;11(3):226–243. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(88)90101-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Black R. E., Dykes A. C., Anderson K. E., Wells J. G., Sinclair S. P., Gary G. W., Jr, Hatch M. H., Gangarosa E. J. Handwashing to prevent diarrhea in day-care centers. Am J Epidemiol. 1981 Apr;113(4):445–451. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113112. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carter C. H., Hendley J. O., Mika L. A., Gwaltney J. M., Jr Rhinovirus inactivation by aqueous iodine in vitro and on skin. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1980 Dec;165(3):380–383. doi: 10.3181/00379727-165-40990. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Casewell M. W., Law M. M., Desai N. A laboratory model for testing agents for hygienic hand disinfection: handwashing and chlorhexidine for the removal of klebsiella. J Hosp Infect. 1988 Oct;12(3):163–175. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(88)90003-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Di Matteo A., Sarasini A., Scotta M. S., Parea M., Licardi G., Gerna G. Nosocomial outbreak of infant rotavirus diarrhea due to the appearance of a new serotype 4 strain. J Med Virol. 1989 Feb;27(2):100–104. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890270206. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Donowitz L. G. Handwashing technique in a pediatric intensive care unit. Am J Dis Child. 1987 Jun;141(6):683–685. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1987.04460060099044. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hayden G. F., Deforest D., Hendley J. O., Gwaltney J. M., Jr Inactivation of rhinovirus on human fingers by virucidal activity of glutaric acid. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1984 Dec;26(6):928–929. doi: 10.1128/aac.26.6.928. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hendley J. O., Mika L. A., Gwaltney J. M., Jr Evaluation of virucidal compounds for inactivation of rhinovirus on hands. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1978 Nov;14(5):690–694. doi: 10.1128/aac.14.5.690. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Keswick B. H., Pickering L. K., DuPont H. L., Woodward W. E. Survival and detection of rotaviruses on environmental surfaces in day care centers. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Oct;46(4):813–816. doi: 10.1128/aem.46.4.813-816.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Larson E. Guideline for use of topical antimicrobial agents. Am J Infect Control. 1988 Dec;16(6):253–266. doi: 10.1016/s0196-6553(88)80005-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lloyd-Evans N., Springthorpe V. S., Sattar S. A. Chemical disinfection of human rotavirus-contaminated inanimate surfaces. J Hyg (Lond) 1986 Aug;97(1):163–173. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400064445. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ojajärvi J. Effectiveness of hand washing and disinfection methods in removing transient bacteria after patient nursing. J Hyg (Lond) 1980 Oct;85(2):193–203. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400063221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pacini D. L., Brady M. T., Budde C. T., Connell M. J., Hamparian V. V., Hughes J. H. Nosocomial rotaviral diarrhea: pattern of spread on wards in a children's hospital. J Med Virol. 1987 Dec;23(4):359–366. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890230408. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Quraishi Z. A., McGuckin M., Blais F. X. Duration of handwashing in intensive care units: a descriptive study. Am J Infect Control. 1984 Apr;12(2):83–87. doi: 10.1016/0196-6553(84)90021-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Reybrouck G. Handwashing and hand disinfection. J Hosp Infect. 1986 Jul;8(1):5–23. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(86)90100-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rotter M. Are models useful for testing hand antiseptics? J Hosp Infect. 1988 Feb;11 (Suppl A):236–243. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(88)90193-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Samadi A. R., Huq M. I., Ahmed Q. S. Detection of rotavirus in handwashings of attendants of children with diarrhoea. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Jan 15;286(6360):188–188. doi: 10.1136/bmj.286.6360.188. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sattar S. A., Ijaz M. K., Johnson-Lussenburg C. M., Springthorpe V. S. Effect of relative humidity on the airborne survival of rotavirus SA11. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1984 Apr;47(4):879–881. doi: 10.1128/aem.47.4.879-881.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sattar S. A., Lloyd-Evans N., Springthorpe V. S., Nair R. C. Institutional outbreaks of rotavirus diarrhoea: potential role of fomites and environmental surfaces as vehicles for virus transmission. J Hyg (Lond) 1986 Apr;96(2):277–289. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400066055. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schürmann W., Eggers H. J. An experimental study on the epidemiology of enteroviruses: water and soap washing of poliovirus 1--contaminated hands, its effectiveness and kinetics. Med Microbiol Immunol. 1985;174(5):221–236. doi: 10.1007/BF02124807. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Schürmann W., Eggers H. J. Antiviral activity of an alcoholic hand disinfectant. Comparison of the in vitro suspension test with in vivo experiments on hands, and on individual fingertips. Antiviral Res. 1983 Mar;3(1):25–41. doi: 10.1016/0166-3542(83)90012-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Springthorpe V. S., Grenier J. L., Lloyd-Evans N., Sattar S. A. Chemical disinfection of human rotaviruses: efficacy of commercially-available products in suspension tests. J Hyg (Lond) 1986 Aug;97(1):139–161. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400064433. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Steere A. C., Mallison G. F. Handwashing practices for the prevention of nosocomial infections. Ann Intern Med. 1975 Nov;83(5):683–690. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-83-5-683. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Ward R. L., Bernstein D. I., Young E. C., Sherwood J. R., Knowlton D. R., Schiff G. M. Human rotavirus studies in volunteers: determination of infectious dose and serological response to infection. J Infect Dis. 1986 Nov;154(5):871–880. doi: 10.1093/infdis/154.5.871. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES