Assessment of new chemical disinfectants for HBV virucidal activity in a cell culture model

Abstract

Several new chemical disinfectants were processed for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) virucidal activity in a cell culture model. A pooled HBV infected human plasma with 10 10.4 HBV DNA copies/mL was treated with the tested disinfectant. It was then subjected, for three days at several dilutions, to cell culture using the human hepatoma cell line, HepG2, with 4% polyethyleneglycol and 3 mM sodium butyrate. Thirty-seven assays were performed on 12 products, with up to 3 concentrations and 3 time exposures for each product tested. The mean viral titre without disinfectant was 10 5.18 infectious units per mL. Our results showed that products all four hand rubs examined, two of the three surface disinfectants and two of the three instrument disinfectants were highly active whatever concentrations and time exposures, reducing viral times by factors of 10 3–10 4. However, other products such as one of the surface disinfectants was only active at concentrations above 0.5% for 15 min. Similarly the skin disinfectant, one of the instrument disinfectants and the hand wash agent (diluted to 50%) were less or not active (of <10 3 fold reduction). This is the first study using a cell culture model to assess virucidal activity against HBV of new disinfectants. It showed that most 9/12 products were active by either HBs antigen alteration (8/9) or probable envelope disruption (1/9). Further studies are in progress using this model to assess the activity of other chemical disinfectants such as peracetic acid against HBV.