2-251 - Perceptions of Healthcare Workers and Environmental Services-Staff Regarding Ultraviolet Room Decontamination Devices

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Organisms such as Ebola Virus and Bacillus anthracis can persist in the environment if effective containment measures are not followed in a timely manner. Current containment and remediation protocols take time to implement and first responders on the scene will have potential exposure to these bacterial agents. As a risk mitigation strategy for these teams, a no-touch pulsed xenon UV (PX-UV) disinfection system can be placed within an exposed environment prior to implementing containment protocols. In this study, PX-UV disinfection efficacy against Ebola virus and Bacillus anthracis was explored. METHODS: To test the effectiveness of PX-UV exposure on Ebola virus, 20 ÂμL of virus was dried on a glass coupon. After drying, samples were positioned vertically and exposed to PX-UV for 1 minute at a distance of 1 meter. Virus was re-suspended and harvested from the slide and infectious virus remaining was quantified by plaque assay. To test the effectiveness of PX-UV exposure on Bacillus anthracis, 10 ÂμL of Anthrax spores were dried on a glass coupon. Once dried, the sampleswereplaced vertically andexposed to PX-UV for 15minutes at a distance of 1 meter. Spores were eluted in 10 ÂμL PBS and serially diluted. Plates were incubated for 48 hours and then enumerated. RESULTS: See Table 1. No growth was observed for either organism after exposure to PX-UV. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing PX-UV as an initial containment step after a natural and/or intentional biological event has the potential to reduce the risk of secondary infection for first responders as well as to reduce the likelihood of a breach in the containment of the agent. In this study, PX-UV has demonstrated disinfection efficacy against two important bioterrorism agents specifically. Future research into detailed, fast-action implementation strategies could help maximize the potential of mobile PX-UV technology.