Survival of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 on Some Common Foods Routinely Touched before Consumption

Droplets of saliva containing herpes simplex virus type 1 were placed on the skin of tomatoes and the upper surface of lettuce leaves. There was no loss of virus infectivity titer at refrigerator temperature (2°C) at any time examined up to 1 h, the longest period tested. At room temperature (22 to 24°C) there was a 2-log drop in titer between 30 and 60 min, but some infectious virus was still present at 1 h. The virus-containing saliva remained in a liquid state at 2°C. At 22 to 24°C the droplets became dry at approximately 50 min. Implications of the findings are discussed.