Efficacy of Disinfectants for Monkeypox Virus Inactivation on High Touch Surface Materials in Low-Resource Settings

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Infectious disease control
• Public health

Background:

• Monkeypox virus (MPXV) poses a significant public health threat, necessitating effective surface disinfection strategies.
• Understanding disinfectant efficacy on diverse surfaces is critical, especially in low-resource settings.
• Limited data exists on MPXV inactivation by common disinfectants on various surface types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the disinfection efficacy of six common disinfectants against monkeypox virus (MPXV) on multiple surface types.
• To determine optimal disinfectant choices and contact times for MPXV inactivation in practical settings.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for surface disinfection in low-resource environments.

Main Methods:

• Surface carriers inoculated with MPXV were treated with six disinfectants (0.05% and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, 70% ethanol, two QAC-based, 1.4% hydrogen peroxide) and controls.
• Disinfection was performed on six common surfaces: four nonporous (stainless steel, glass, plastic, latex) and two porous (ceramic, wood).
• MPXV was quantified post-treatment with a 1-minute contact time, and log10 removal values were calculated.

Main Results:

• Sodium hypochlorite (0.05%, 0.5%) and 70% ethanol achieved ≥99.97% MPXV reduction on nonporous surfaces and ≥99.40% on wood.
• QAC-based disinfectants were effective on nonporous surfaces (≥99.97% inactivation) but less so on wood.
• 1.4% hydrogen peroxide showed limited efficacy across all tested surfaces; results varied significantly by disinfectant and surface type.

Conclusions:

• 0.05% sodium hypochlorite or 70% ethanol are recommended for inactivating MPXV on clean nonporous and porous surfaces with a 1-minute contact time.
• Disinfectant efficacy is surface-dependent, highlighting the need for tailored disinfection protocols.
• Further research is needed on evolving MPXV strains, diverse application methods, and porous surface interactions for comprehensive disinfection guidelines.