[The virus inactivating efficacy of peracids and peracidous disinfectants (author's transl)]

It has always been an aim to develop chemicals able to kill a broad spectrum of microorganisms. Research in this field led to peracids inactivating vegetative bacterial forms, spores, fungi and viruses. Since liquid peracids are very unstable, powders were developed which dissolved in water, formed peracids. In this paper the inactivating efficacy of peracids derived from powders as well as of pure peracids is presented. It is shown that both inactivate the following viruses: poliomyelitisvirus type 1, coxsackievirus B3, adenovirus type 5 and SV40. The most resistant viruses were the picornaviruses, especially coxsackievirus B3. But in all cases, inactivation is in accordance with the guidelines of the Deutsche Vereinigung zur Bekämpfung der Viruskrankheiten (DVV) (15). Furthermore, it is shown that pure peracids are more reactive than peracids formed from powders. But with all peracids there remains residual infectivity, which may be due to inhomogenic virus populations.