Successful Inactivation of High-Consequence Pathogens in PrimeStore Molecular Transport Media

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Biosafety
• Public Health

Background:

• Handling Risk Group 3 and 4 pathogens poses significant biosafety risks, often necessitating specialized high-containment facilities.
• Current methods for sample processing and transport require extensive logistical planning and resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of PrimeStore Molecular Transport Medium (PS-MTM) in inactivating a panel of high-risk viruses.
• To assess PS-MTM's potential to enhance biosafety during sample handling and transport.

Main Methods:

• Human whole blood samples spiked with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, eastern equine encephalitis, Ebola, Hendra, Japanese encephalitis, Lassa, Marburg, Nipah, Rift Valley fever, and West Nile viruses were incubated with PS-MTM for 20, 30, or 60 minutes.
• Infectivity was assessed using plaque assays and tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) assays.

Main Results:

• PS-MTM completely inactivated all tested viruses at titers up to 10^7 PFU/mL and 10^7 TCID50/mL after incubation periods of 20-60 minutes.
• A 30-minute incubation provided a 50% safety margin, demonstrating robust inactivation.

Conclusions:

• PS-MTM reliably inactivates a broad spectrum of high-risk viruses, significantly improving biosafety for diagnostic and surveillance applications.
• The medium offers a safe and efficient method for handling infectious samples at ambient temperatures, reducing reliance on high-containment facilities.