Ozone inactivation of airborne influenza and lack of resistance of respiratory syncytial virus to aerosolization and sampling processes

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 12;16(7):e0253022. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253022. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Influenza and RSV are human viruses responsible for outbreaks in hospitals, long-term care facilities and nursing homes. The present study assessed an air treatment using ozone at two relative humidity conditions (RHs) in order to reduce the infectivity of airborne influenza. Bovine pulmonary surfactant (BPS) and synthetic tracheal mucus (STM) were used as aerosols protectants to better reflect the human aerosol composition. Residual ozone concentration inside the aerosol chamber was also measured. RSV's sensitivity resulted in testing its resistance to aerosolization and sampling processes instead of ozone exposure. The results showed that without supplement and with STM, a reduction in influenza A infectivity of four orders of magnitude was obtained with an exposure to 1.70 ± 0.19 ppm of ozone at 76% RH for 80 min. Consequently, ozone could be considered as a virucidal disinfectant for airborne influenza A. RSV did not withstand the aerosolization and sampling processes required for the use of the experimental setup. Therefore, ozone exposure could not be performed for this virus. Nonetheless, this study provides great insight for the efficacy of ozone as an air treatment for the control of nosocomial influenza A outbreaks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols
  • Air Microbiology
  • Cross Infection / prevention & control
  • Disinfection / methods
  • Humans
  • Influenza A virus / drug effects*
  • Influenza, Human / prevention & control
  • Ozone / administration & dosage
  • Ozone / pharmacology*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / prevention & control
  • Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / drug effects*
  • Virus Inactivation / drug effects*

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Ozone

Grants and funding

CD: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant (RGPIN-2020-04284). https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca CD and NG: Quebec Respiratory Health Network team grant. https://rsr-qc.ca MED and CT: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada MED: Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail. irsst.qc.ca The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.