Skip to main content
PMC home page
Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2002 May 25;46(1):55–60. doi: 10.1053/jhin.2000.0795

Survival of human coronaviruses 229E and OC43 in suspension and after drying onsurfaces: a possible source ofhospital-acquired infections

J Sizun 1,f1, MWN Yu 1, PJ Talbot 1
PMCID: PMC7134510  PMID: 11023724

Abstract

Strains OC43 and 229E of human coronaviruses (HCoV) cause one-third of common colds and hospital-acquired upper respiratory tract HCoV infections have been reported in premature newborns. To evaluate possible sources of infection, virus survival was studied in aqueous suspensions and on absorptive and non-absorptive surfaces representative of a hospital environment. Virus susceptibility to chemical disinfection with standard products was also characterized. Virus survived in saline solution for as long as six days but less in culture medium, with or without added cells. After drying, HCoV-229E infectivity was still detectable after 3h on various surfaces (aluminum, sterile latex surgical gloves, sterile sponges) but HCoV-OC43 survived 1h or less. Of the various chemical disinfectants tested, Proviodine® reduced the virus infectious titre by at least 50%. This study suggests that surfaces and suspensions can be considered as possible sources of contamination that may lead to hospital-acquired infections with HCoV and should be appropriately disinfected.

Keywords: Coronavirus, virus, hospital-acquired infections, respiratory infections, survival, infectivity, disinfection

References

  • 1.Myint, SH. Human coronavirus infections, Siddell, SG, The Coronaviridae, New York, Plenum Press, 1995, 389, 401
  • 2.Sizun J, Soupre D, Giroux JD. Nasal colonization with coronavirus and apnea of the premature newborn. Acta Paediatr. 1993;82:238. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1993.tb12650.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Sizun J, Soupre D, Legrand MC. Neonatal nosocomial respiratory infection with coronavirus: a prospective study in a neonatal intensive care unit. Acta Paediatr. 1995;84:617–620. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1995.tb13710.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Falsey AR, McCann RM, Hall WJ. The 'common cold' in frail older persons: impact of rhinovirus and coronavirus in a senior daycare center. J Amer Geriatr Soc. 1997;45:706–711. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1997.tb01474.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Bradburne AF, Bynoe ML, Tyrrell DAJ. Effects of a new human respiratory virus in volunteers. Brit Med J. 1967;3:767–769. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5568.767. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Larson HE, Reed SE, Tyrrell DAJ. Isolation of rhinovirus and coronaviruses from 38 colds in adults. J Med Virol. 1980;5:221–229. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890050306. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Ijaz MK, Brunner AH, Sattar SA. Survival characteristics of airborne human coronavirus 229E. J Gen Virol. 1985;66:2743–2748. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-66-12-2743. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Hall CB, Douglas G, Geiman JM. Possible transmission by fomites of respiratory syncytial virus. J Infect Dis. 1980;141:98–102. doi: 10.1093/infdis/141.1.98. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Hendley JO, Wenzel RP, Gwaltney J.M. Transmission of rhinovirus colds by self-inoculation. N Engl J Med. 1973;288:1361–1364. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197306282882601. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Jouvenne P, Mounir S, Stewart JN. Sequence analysis of human coronavirus 229E mRNAs 4 and 5: evidence for polymorphism and homology with myelin basic protein. Virus Res. 1992;22:125–141. doi: 10.1016/0168-1702(92)90039-C. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Mounir S, Talbot PJ. Sequence analysis of the membrane protein gene human coronavirus OC43 and evidence for O -glycosylation. J Gen Virol. 1992;73:2731–2736. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-73-10-2731. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Sattar SA, Karim YG, Springthorpe VS, Johnson-Lussenburg CM. Survival of human rhinovirus type 14 dried onto nonporous inanimate surfaces: effect of relative humidity and suspending medium. Can J Microbiol. 1987;33:802–806. doi: 10.1139/m87-136. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Sizun J, Arbour N, Talbot PJ. Comparison of immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies and RT-PCR for the detection of human coronaviruses 229E and OC43 in cell culture. J Virol Meth. 1998;72:145–152. doi: 10.1016/S0166-0934(98)00013-5. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Payment, P, Trudel, M, Isolement et identification des virus, Payment, PTrudel, M, Manuel de Techniques Virologiques, Québec, Presses de I' Université du Québec, 1989, 21, 44
  • 15.Brady MT, Evans J, Cuartas J. Survival and disinfection of parainfluenza viruses on environmental surfaces. Amer J Infect Control. 1990;18:18–23. doi: 10.1016/0196-6553(90)90206-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Ford-Jones, EL, The special problems of nosoco-mial infection in the pediatric patient, Wenzel, RP, Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infections. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins, 1993, 812, 896
  • 17.Lamarre A, Talbot PJ. Effect of pH and temperature on the infectivity of human coronavirus 229E. Can J Microbiol. 1989;35:972–974. doi: 10.1139/m89-160. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Ansari SA, Springthorpe S, Sattar SA. Potential role of hands in the spread of respiratory viral infections: Studies with human Parainfluenza virus 3 and Rhinovirus 14. J Clin Microbiol. 1991;10:2115–2119. doi: 10.1128/jcm.29.10.2115-2119.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Arbour N, Ekandé S, Côté G. Persistent infection of human oligodendrocytic and neuroglial cell lines by human coronavirus 229E. J Virol. 1999;73:3326–3337. doi: 10.1128/jvi.73.4.3326-3337.1999. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Arbour N, Côté G, Lachance C. Acute and persistent infection of human neural cell lines by human coronavirus OC43. J Virol. 1999;73:3338–3350. doi: 10.1128/jvi.73.4.3338-3350.1999. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Bellamy K. A review of the tests methods used to establish virucidal activity. J Hosp Infect. 1995;30:389–396. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(95)90043-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Krilov LR, Harkness SH. Inactivation of respiratory syncytial virus by detergents and disinfectants. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1993;12:582–584. doi: 10.1097/00006454-199307000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.MMWR. 1997;46:1–79. [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Hospital Infection are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

RESOURCES