Decontamination with vaporized hydrogen peroxide is effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of room fumigation with vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) in decontamination of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis.


RESULTS
About 8 x 10(4)-2.3 x 10(6) CFU of M. tuberculosis H37Rv and M. tuberculosis Beijing were dried in 10-microl drops in tissue culture plates, placed in steam-permeable Tyvek pouches and distributed on laboratory surfaces. The room was exposed to VHP delivered by air conditioning. Different exposure conditions were tested. Exposure to VHP resulted in sterilization of the bacterial samples in three different test runs.


CONCLUSIONS
VHP treatment is an effective means of reducing and eliminating room contaminations of M. tuberculosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Fumigation with VHP represents an alternative to formaldehyde fumigation, particularly for decontamination of animal rooms in tuberculosis research laboratories.
Kahnert
A
A
Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany. antje.kahnert@mpiib-Berlin.mpg.de
Seiler
P
P
Stein
M
M
Aze
B
B
McDonnell
G
G
Kaufmann
S H E
SH
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D005651:Fumigation / Q000379:methods*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide