Inactivation of yellow fever virus by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations and surface disinfectants.

• Published in: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: Toni Luise Meister, Nicola Frericks, Robin D V Kleinert, Estefanía Rodríguez, Joerg Steinmann, Daniel Todt, Richard J P Brown, Eike Steinmann
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012264; https://doaj.org/article/de10d59daa5749329f78054bec667369

Despite continued outbreaks of yellow fever virus (YFV) in endemic regions, data on its environmental stability or guidelines for its effective inactivation is limited. Here, we evaluated the susceptibility of the YFV 17D vaccine strain to inactivation by ethanol, 2-propanol, World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended hand rub formulations I and II, as well as surface disinfectants. In addition, two pathogenic strains were tested to compare inactivation kinetics by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations I and II. Furthermore, environmental stability of the vaccine strain was assessed. YFV 17D particles displayed infectivity half-life decay profiles of ~13 days at room temperature. Despite this extended environmental stability, YFV was efficiently inactivated by alcohols, WHO-recommended hand formulations, and four out of five tested surface disinfectants. These results are useful in defining disinfection protocols to prevent non-vector borne YFV transmission.