Phi 6 recovery from inoculated fingerpads based on elution buffer and methodology

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Microbiology
• Infectious Disease Transmission

Background:

• Phi 6 (Φ6) bacteriophage is a surrogate for studying enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
• Understanding virus recovery from hands is crucial for disease transmission studies.
• Validated methods are needed for accurate assessment of hand contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of different buffers and recovery methods for Phi 6 (Φ6) from human fingerpads.
• To determine the optimal conditions for quantifying virus recovery over time.
• To establish a validated method for future research on hand hygiene and virus transmission.

Main Methods:

• Four buffer types (PBS, PBS + Tween, glycine + beef extract, viral transport medium) were tested.
• Three recovery methods (dish, modified glove juice, vigorous swabbing) were employed.
• Phi 6 (Φ6) concentrations were measured at 0, 5, 10, and 30 minutes post-inoculation.

Main Results:

• Observed differences in virus recovery across buffer and method types at various time points.
• No statistically significant differences in log PFU recovery based on buffer type or methodology at any time point (P > 0.05).
• Results indicate robustness of tested methods for Phi 6 (Φ6) recovery.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a well-characterized and validated recovery method for Phi 6 (Φ6).
• This validated method will facilitate future research on virus persistence, hand-to-surface transfer, and hand hygiene efficacy.
• Findings support the use of Phi 6 (Φ6) as a surrogate in hand contamination studies.