Airborne stability of simian virus 40

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Environmental Microbiology
• Aerosol Science

Background:

• Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a non-enveloped DNA virus with implications for laboratory safety.
• Understanding the environmental stability of airborne viruses is crucial for risk assessment and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the airborne survival of SV40.
• To determine the influence of temperature on SV40 aerosol stability across a range of RH values.

Main Methods:

• Virus aerosols of SV40 were generated and aged in rotating drums.
• Experiments were conducted at two temperatures (21°C and 32°C) and varying RH levels (22% to 88%).
• Viral infectivity was assessed after specific aging periods.

Main Results:

• SV40 aerosols remained stable at 21°C across all tested RH values (22%–88%).
• At 32°C, SV40 aerosols showed significant inactivation within 60 minutes at mid-range RH values.
• The virus exhibited unusual stability at 21°C over a broad RH spectrum.

Conclusions:

• Airborne SV40 demonstrates significant stability at ambient laboratory temperatures (21°C) irrespective of humidity.
• Elevated temperatures (32°C) combined with moderate RH can lead to rapid inactivation of airborne SV40.
• The findings highlight potential biohazardous risks in laboratories if SV40 becomes accidentally aerosolized under specific conditions.