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Published on: October 11, 2013
Hepatitis A virus: a test method for virucidal activity
M H Wolff1, J Schmitt, M Rahaus
1Institute for Microbiology and Virology, University Witten/Herdecke, Germany. Whwolff@uni-wh.de
Abstract:
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is closely related to the genus enterovirus. HAV is very stable and resistant to acid pH and elevated temperature, as well as to chemicals and environmental influences. Human poliovirus is still one of the model viruses for testing disinfectants but there are discussions about changing to hepatitis A virus. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for using adapted hepatitis A virus to test hand disinfectants. Using HAV strains HM175/24a and FRhK-4 cytopathic effects were visible rarely, and not before 14 days. To verify virus growth in cells a RT-PCR was developed. Two disinfectants tested did not show the required virucidal activity to satisfy current German guidelines.
Insights
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a stable virus, making it a potential model for testing hand disinfectants. Current methods using poliovirus may be replaced by HAV, but two tested disinfectants lacked sufficient virucidal activity.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Hepatitis A virus (HAV) shares characteristics with enteroviruses and exhibits high resistance to environmental factors.
- Human poliovirus is a standard model for disinfectant efficacy testing, but HAV is being considered as an alternative.
- HAV's stability and resistance make it a relevant candidate for evaluating disinfectant effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a reliable method for using adapted Hepatitis A virus (HAV) to assess the efficacy of hand disinfectants.
- To evaluate the suitability of HAV as a model virus for disinfectant testing, potentially replacing poliovirus.
Main Methods:
- Utilized HAV strains HM175/24a and FRhK-4 for disinfectant testing.
- Observed cytopathic effects (CPE) in cell cultures, noting rare occurrences and a 14-day observation period.
- Developed a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to confirm virus replication in cells.
Main Results:
- Cytopathic effects for HAV strains were infrequent and appeared after 14 days of incubation.
- RT-PCR confirmed virus growth in cell cultures, validating the cell-based assay.
- Two tested hand disinfectants failed to demonstrate adequate virucidal activity according to German guidelines.
Conclusions:
- Adapted HAV strains can be used to develop methods for testing hand disinfectant efficacy.
- The current German guidelines for disinfectant virucidal activity may not be met by all tested products when using HAV.
- Further research is needed to optimize HAV-based methods for disinfectant evaluation and potentially replace poliovirus models.
