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Inactivation of Bacteriophage ɸ6 and SARS-CoV-2 in Antimicrobial Surface Tests
Sabine Poelzl1, Julia Rieger2, Kurt Zatloukal2
1Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 2A, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Abstract:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have focused on new preventive measures to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2. One promising application is the usage of antimicrobial materials on often-touched surfaces to reduce the load of infectious virus particles. Since tests with in vitro-propagated SARS-CoV-2 require biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories with limited capacities and high costs, experiments with an appropriate surrogate like the bacteriophage ɸ6 are preferred in most studies. The aim of this study was to compare ɸ6 and SARS-CoV-2 within antiviral surface tests. Different concentrations of copper coatings on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were used to determine their neutralizing activity against ɸ6 and SARS-CoV-2. The incubation on the different specimens led to similar inactivation of both SARS-CoV-2 and ɸ6. After 24 h, no infectious virus particles were evident on any of the tested samples. Shorter incubation periods on specimens with high copper concentrations also showed a complete inactivation. In contrast, the uncoated PET foils resulted only in a negligible reduced inactivation during the one-hour incubation. The similar reduction rate for ɸ6 and SARS-CoV-2 in our experiments provide further evidence that the bacteriophage ɸ6 is an adequate model organism for SARS-CoV-2 for this type of testing.
Insights
Antimicrobial copper coatings effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and the surrogate bacteriophage ɸ6 on surfaces. These findings support using bacteriophage ɸ6 as a reliable model for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral surface testing.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates novel strategies to limit SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
- Antimicrobial surfaces offer a promising approach to reduce virus load on frequently touched objects.
- Testing SARS-CoV-2 requires high-containment BSL-3 laboratories, making surrogate virus studies essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of copper coatings against SARS-CoV-2 and the surrogate bacteriophage ɸ6.
- To evaluate the performance of different copper concentrations on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) surfaces.
- To validate bacteriophage ɸ6 as an appropriate model for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral surface testing.
Main Methods:
- Antiviral surface assays were conducted using varying copper concentrations on PET substrates.
- Specimens were incubated with SARS-CoV-2 and bacteriophage ɸ6 for different time periods.
- Infectious virus particles were quantified to determine inactivation rates.
Main Results:
- Copper coatings demonstrated significant inactivation of both SARS-CoV-2 and ɸ6.
- Complete inactivation of both viruses was observed on high-concentration copper specimens within 24 hours.
- Bacteriophage ɸ6 showed a similar reduction rate to SARS-CoV-2 across tested conditions.
Conclusions:
- Antimicrobial copper surfaces effectively neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and bacteriophage ɸ6.
- Bacteriophage ɸ6 is a suitable and reliable surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 in antiviral surface efficacy studies.
- Copper-coated materials present a viable strategy for reducing virus transmission on surfaces.
