Table 5. Biological decay of viruses under different relative humidity (RH) and temperature (Temp).
| Virus | RH levels involved (%) | Temp levels involved (°C) | H/L[a] | Extreme RH for decay (%) | Extreme Temp for decay (°C) | Decay | Survival[c] | Half-life | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteriaphage S-13 | 20, 50, 80 | 21 | H | 50 | 21 | — | 0.1*–1*% (120) | — | (Dubovi and Akers, 1970) |
| L | 80 | 21 | — | >10*% (120) | — | ||||
| Bacteriaphage MS-2 | 20, 50, 80 | 21 | H | 50 | 21 | — | 0.01*–0.1*% (120) | — | (Dubovi and Akers, 1970) |
| L | 20 | 21 | — | 1*–10*% (120) | — | ||||
| Bovine parainfluenza type 3 | 30, 90 | 6, 32 | H | 90 | 32 | — | 0% (180) | — | (Elazhary and Derbyshire, 1979) |
| L | 90 | 6 | — | 1.6–4.0% (180) | — | ||||
| Newcastle disease virus | 10, 35, 90 | 23 | H | 35 | 23 | — | 0.1*–10*% (90) | — | (Songer, 1967) |
| L | 10 | 23 | — | >10*% (90) | — | ||||
| Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus | 10, 35, 90 | 23 | H | 35 | 23 | — | 0.1*–10*% (90) | — | (Songer, 1967) |
| L | 90 | 23 | — | >10*% (90) | — | ||||
| Vesicular stomatitis virus | 10, 35, 90 | 23 | H | 35 | 23 | — | 1*–10*% (90) | — | (Songer, 1967) |
| L | 10 | 23 | — | >10*% (90) | — | ||||
| E. coli B T3 bacteriophage | 10, 35, 90 | 23 | H | 35 | 23 | — | 0% (90) | — | (Songer, 1967) |
| L | 90 | 23 | — | >10*% (90) | — | ||||
| Bovine rotavirus UK | 30, 50, 80 | 20 | H | 80 | 20 | — | — | 3 h | (Ijaz et al., 1994) |
| L | 50 | 20 | — | — | 18 h | ||||
| Mouse rotavirus | 30, 50, 80 | 20 | H | 80 | 20 | — | — | 2 h | (Ijaz et al., 1994) |
| L | 50 | 20 | — | — | 24 h | ||||
| Poliovirus type 1 Sarbin | 30, 50, 80 | 20 | H | 30, 50 | 20 | — | — | n.r. | (Ijaz et al., 1985b) |
| L | 80 | 20 | — | — | 9 hs | ||||
| Human corona virus 229E | 30, 50, 80 | 6, 20 | H | 80 | 20 | — | — | 3.3 h | (Ijaz et al., 1985a) |
| L | 50 | 6 | — | — | 102.5 h | ||||
| Human rotavirus | 30, 50, 80 | 6, 20 | H | 80 | 6 | — | — | 1.7 h | (Ijaz et al., 1985c) |
| L | 50 | 6 | — | — | 57.4 h | ||||
| Bovine rotavirus | 20, 50, 80 | 10, 20, 30 | H | 50 | 30 | 2.39 log h−1 | — | — | (Moe and Harper, 1983) |
| L | 90 | 10 | 0.03 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| E. coli B T3 coliphage | 8, 30, 50, 80, 95 | 21 | H | 8 | 21 | — | 0% (240) | — | (Hatch and Warren, 1969) |
| L | 95 | 21 | — | >10*% (240) | — | ||||
| Pasteurella pestis Bacteriophage | 20, 40, 50, 60, 72, 95 | 21 | H | 40, 50, 60 | 21 | — | 0.1*–10*% (240) | — | (Hatch and Warren, 1969) |
| L | 20, 72, 95 | 21 | — | >10*% (240) | — | ||||
| Encephalomyoca-rditis Virus | 5*–90* | 10, 20, 30, 37 | H | 10*–20* | 37 | 0.001*–0.01*% (30–35) | — | (de Jong et al., 1975) | |
| L | 80*–90* | 20 | 100*% (30–35) | — | |||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus O1 BFS 1860 | 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 | 19–22 | H | 20 | 19–22 | — | 0.01*–0.1*% (5) | — | (Barlow and Donaldson, 1973) |
| L | 50, 60, 70 | 19–22 | — | 0.01*–11*% (5) | — | ||||
| 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | n.c. | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) | |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 3.15 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus O2 Brescia | 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | n.c. | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 2.60 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus O1 Lombardy | 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | n.c. | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 2.38 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus C Noville | 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | 2.90 log h−1 | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 1.88 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus A5 Eystrup | 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | 2.60 log h−1 | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 1.78 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus C Lebanon | 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | 2.40 log h−1 | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 1.43 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus A22 Iraq | 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | 3.28 log h−1 | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 1.25 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Foot and Mouth disease virus O1 Pacheco | 55, 70 | 18–23 | H | 55 | 18–23 | 2.05 log h−1 | — | — | (Donaldson, 1972) |
| L | 70 | 18–23 | 1.06 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Influenza virus | 20/25, 34/36, 49/51, 64/65, 81/82 | 7.0/8.0, 20.5/24.0, 32.0 | H | 81 | 32.0 | — | 0% (240) | — | (Harper, 1961) |
| L | 23/25 | 7.0/8.0 | — | 61% (1380) | — | ||||
| Vaccinia virus | 17/20, 48/51, 80/84 | 10.5/11.5, 21.0/23.0, 31.5/33.5 | H | 80/83 | 31.5/33.5 | — | 0% (1380) | — | (Harper, 1961) |
| L | 20 | 10.5/11.5 | — | 66% (1380) | — | ||||
| Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus | 19/23, 48/50, 81/86 | 9.0/9.5, 21.0/23.0, 32.0/ 33.0 | H | 81/85 | 32.0/33.0 | — | 0% (360) | — | (Harper, 1961) |
| L | 19 | 9.0/9.5 | — | 26% (1380) | — | ||||
| Poliomyelitis virus | 18/23, 35/36, 49/51, 64/65, 80/81 | 20.5/23.5 | H | 49/51 | 20.5/23.5 | — | 0% (360) | — | (Harper, 1961) |
| L | 80/81 | 20.5/23.5 | — | 85% (1380) | — | ||||
| 20, 80 | — | H | 20 | — | — | 2.5% (60) | — | (Benbough, 1971) | |
| L | 80 | — | — | 53% (60) | — | ||||
| Japanese B Encephalitis Virus | 30, 55, 80 | 24 | H | 80 | 24 | — | — | 28 min | (Larson et al., 1980) |
| L | 30 | 24 | — | — | 62 min | ||||
| Langat virus | 20, 80 | — | H | 80 | — | — | 10% (60) | — | (Benbough, 1971) |
| L | 20 | — | — | 52% (60) | — | ||||
| Semliki Forest virus | 20, 80 | — | H | 80 | — | — | 51% (60) | — | (Benbough, 1971) |
| L | 20 | — | — | 67% (60) | — | ||||
| E. coli B T7 coliphage | 20, 80 | — | H | 20 | — | — | 0.05% (60) | — | (Benbough, 1971) |
| L | 80 | — | — | 57% (60) | — | ||||
| Lassa virus Josiah | 30, 55, 80 | 24, 32, 38 | H | 80 | 32 | 6.9% min−1 | 0.3% (60) | 10.1 min | (Stephenson et al., 1984) |
| L | 30 | 24 | 1.3% min−1 | 16.9% (60) | 54.6 min | ||||
| Pseudorabies virus | 55, 85 | 4, 22 | H | 85 | 22 | — | — | 17.4 min | (Schoenbaum et al., 1990) |
| L | 55 | 4 | — | — | 43.6 min | ||||
| Newcastle disease virus | 20/30, 50, 80 | 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 | H | 80 | 25, 30 | — | 8% (360) | — | (Kournikakis et al., 1988) |
| L | 20/30 | 10 | — | 56% (360) | — | ||||
| Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus | 5–90 | 5–41 | H | 63.8 | 30 | — | — | 3.3 min | (Hermann et al., 2007) |
| L | 17.1 | 5 | — | — | 192.7 min | ||||
| Psittacosis agent | 30, 50, 80 | 26.7 | H | 80 | 26.7 | 6.73% min−1 | — | — | (Mayhew and Hahon, 1970) |
| L | 30 | 26.7 | 0.64% min−1 | — | — | ||||
| Reovirus type 1 Lang | 25/35, 45/55, 65/75, 85/95 | 21/24 | H | 65/75, 25/35 | 21/24 | 3.2–3.3% min−1 | — | — | (Adams et al., 1982) |
| L | 85/95 | 21/24 | 1.5–2.5% min−1 | — | — | ||||
| Yellow fever virus | 30, 50, 80 | 26.7 | H | 50 | 26.7 | 7.04% min−1 | — | — | (Mayhew and Hahon, 1970) |
| L | 30 | 26.7 | 3.26% min−1 | — | — | ||||
| Variola virus | 30, 50, 80 | 26.7 | H | 30 | 26.7 | 0.86% min−1 | — | — | (Mayhew and Hahon, 1970) |
| L | 80 | 26.7 | 0.56% min−1 | — | — | ||||
| Respiratory Syncytial Virus | 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 | 20.5 | H | 80 | 20.5 | 1.49 log h−1 | — | — | (Rechsteiner and Winkler, 1969) |
| L | 20 | 20.5 | 0.47 log h−1 | — | — | ||||
| Rift Valley fever virus ZH-501 | 30, 55, 80 | 24 | H | 80 | 24 | 10.1% min−1 | — | 6.9 min | (Brown et al., 1982) |
| L | 30 | 24 | 0.9% min−1 | — | 77.0 min | ||||
| Rift Valley fever virus SA-51 | 30, 55, 80 | 24 | H | 80 | 24 | 6.1% min−1 | — | 11.4 min | (Brown et al., 1982) |
| L | 30 | 24 | 1.3% min−1 | — | 53.3 min | ||||
| Rotavirus SA11 | 25, 50, 80 | 20 | H | 80 | 20 | — | — | <2 h | (Sattar et al., 1984) |
| L | 50 | 20 | — | — | 40 h | ||||
| St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) virus | 29, 46, 60, 80 | 21 | H | 80 | 21 | — | 14[b]% (360) | — | (Rabey et al., 1969) |
| L | 29 | 21 | — | 79[b]% (360) | — | ||||
| Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus | 30, 60 | 22 | H | 60 | 22 | — | 0.006–77.3% (60) | — | (Berendt and Dorsey, 1971) |
| L | 30 | 22 | — | 0.02–88.7% (60) | — | ||||
| Rhinovirus-14 | 30, 50, 80 | 20 | H | 30, 50 | 20 | — | <0.25% (15) | — | (Karim et al., 1985) |
| L | 80 | 20 | — | 30% (1440) | 13.7 hs |
*Estimated readings from the figures. n.c. = not calculated due to no infectious virus was recovered. [a]H = highest biological decay of airborne microorganisms (i.e., worst survival and shortest half-life time); L = lowest biological decay of airborne microorganisms (i.e., optimal survival and longest half-life time). [b]Calculated by dividing the amount of virus collected in the last air sample (360 min) by that in the first air sample (15 min). [c]In brackets is the time span (in minutes) between which survival rate corresponds to.