Hand hygiene: virucidal efficacy of a liquid hand wash product against Ebola virus

T A Cutts; R W Nims; S S Theriault; E Bruning; J R Rubino; M K Ijaz

doi:10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100122

Hand hygiene: virucidal efficacy of a liquid hand wash product against Ebola virus

Infect Prev Pract. 2021 Jan 20;3(1):100122. doi: 10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100122. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Authors

T A Cutts¹, R W Nims², S S Theriault³, E Bruning⁴, J R Rubino⁴, M K Ijaz^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, and J.C. Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
² RMC Pharmaceutical Solutions, Inc., Longmont, CO, USA.
³ University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
⁴ Global Research & Development for Lysol and Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser LLC, Montvale, NJ, USA.
⁵ Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NJ, USA.

Abstract

Background: Hand washing is an important targeted hygiene intervention for limiting the spread of infectious agents, including the Ebola virus, which continues to re-emerge. We have assessed the virucidal efficacy of a commercially available liquid hand wash product (LHW) for inactivating Ebola virus.

Methods: The ASTM E1052-11 Standard was used to evaluate the efficacy of an LHW containing the microbicidal active salicylic acid for inactivating Ebola virus - Makona variant suspended in an organic load. Three concentrations (12.5%, 25%, 50%) of three lots of LHW prepared in 440 ppm hard water were evaluated at room temperature for 20, 30, and 60 s contact time.

Results: A 25% solution of the LHW caused 4.5 log₁₀ and 4.8 log₁₀ reduction in Ebola virus titer within 20 and 30 s, respectively. The efficacy of a 12.5% LHW solution was lower (1.9 and 2.0 log₁₀ reduction in titer within 20 and 30 s, respectively). The efficacy of the 50% LHW solution could not be measured, due to inability to sufficiently neutralize the LHW at the end of exposure.

Conclusion: These results suggest the potential utility of an appropriately formulated liquid hand wash agent during Ebola virus disease outbreaks for use within healthcare, community, and home settings. Such an LHW should also be effective against other enveloped viruses, such as the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: Ebola virus (Makona C07 variant); Ebola virus inactivation; Emerging/re-emerging viruses; Hand hygiene; Liquid hand wash; Prevention of spread of infectious agents including high-risk viruses.