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Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
18:10

Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency

Published on: June 16, 2011

Virus survival in the environment

E C Pirtle1, G W Beran

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.

Revue Scientifique Et Technique (International Office of Epizootics)
|September 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Viruses persist in the environment from infected hosts and spread to new ones. Increased human and animal movement amplifies virus transmission, making environmental control challenging.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Virology
  • Infectious Disease Transmission

Background:

  • Viruses are shed into the environment by infected hosts but do not replicate outside living organisms.
  • Increasing global population density and mobility enhance the transmission of respiratory and enteric viruses.
  • Preventing environmental virus transmission is increasingly difficult due to these factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the environmental survival factors of various viruses.
  • To highlight viruses with well-studied environmental persistence.
  • To discuss the implications of environmental virus stability on public health.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on viral survival in the environment.
  • Analysis of research on environmental persistence factors including temperature, disinfectants, and fomites.
  • Examination of specific virus groups and their known environmental stability.

Main Results:

  • Polio, foot-and-mouth disease, and Aujeszky's disease viruses have well-defined environmental survival factors.
  • Adenoviruses, African swine fever virus, and Norwalk virus exhibit heat resistance.
  • Picornaviruses, papovaviruses, reoviruses, retroviruses, influenza viruses, paramyxoviruses, and poxviruses show resistance to disinfectants and survival on fomites.
  • Subacute spongiform encephalopathy agents demonstrate remarkable environmental stability.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental conditions significantly influence virus survival and transmission pathways.
  • Understanding virus stability is crucial for developing effective control strategies.
  • Emerging data on the extreme stability of certain agents like prions necessitates further investigation into environmental containment.

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