Inactivation of adenovirus types 5 and 6 by Virkon S

Throughout the pharmaceutical industry, adenovirus-based products are being developed for human use as vaccine vectors and gene therapy delivery vehicles. The implementation of effective decontamination procedures is critical to the successful manufacture of these products to minimize the risk of personnel exposure and prevent product cross-contamination in the manufacturing facility. In this investigation, we have conducted small-scale decontamination studies to determine the efficacy of Virkon S on the inactivation of adenovirus types 5 and 6 in suspension. Virkon S is a commercially available oxidative disinfectant used against a variety of bacteria, spores, fungi, and viruses. A cytotoxicity-based endpoint dilution assay was used to quantify adenovirus potency before and after Virkon S treatment. We show that the level of organic content in the inactivation sample matrix has a significant impact on Virkon S activity. The potency of adenovirus types 5 and 6 was reduced by greater than six logs upon a five minute exposure to the appropriate concentration of Virkon S. Based on these results, we propose that Virkon S liquid decontamination procedures for adenovirus types 5 and 6 use 0.9% Virkon S for contact times greater than five minutes.