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Updated: Dec 20, 2025
A Method to Test the Efficacy of Handwashing for the Removal of Emerging Infectious Pathogens
Published on: June 7, 2017
A systematic review of chlorine-based surface disinfection efficacy to inform recommendations for low-resource
Karin Gallandat1, Riley C Kolus2, Timothy R Julian3
1Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA.
Background:
Infectious diseases can be transmitted via fomites (contaminated surfaces/objects); disinfection can interrupt this transmission route. However, disinfection guidelines for low-resource outbreak settings are inconsistent and not evidence-based.
Methods:
A systematic review of surface disinfection efficacy studies was conducted to inform low-resource outbreak guideline development. Due to variation in experimental procedures, outcomes were synthesized in a narrative summary focusing on chlorine-based disinfection against 7 pathogens with potential to produce outbreaks in low-resource settings (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella spp., hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, norovirus, and Ebola virus).
Results:
Data were extracted from 89 laboratory studies and made available, including 20 studies on relevant pathogens used in combination with surrogate data to determine minimum target concentration × time ("CT") factors. Stainless steel (68%) and chlorine-based disinfectants (56%) were most commonly tested. No consistent trend was seen in the influence of chlorine concentration and exposure time on disinfection efficacy. Disinfectant application mode; soil load; and surface type were frequently identified as influential factors in included studies.
Conclusions:
This review highlights that surface disinfection efficacy estimates are strongly influenced by each study's experimental conditions. We therefore recommend laboratory testing to be followed by field-based testing/monitoring to ensure effectiveness is achieved in situ.
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