title: Decontamination of a BSL3 laboratory by hydrogen peroxide fumigation using three different surrogates for Bacillus anthracis spores.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Two independent trials investigated the decontamination of a BSL3 laboratory using vaporous hydrogen peroxide and compared the effect on spores of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis as surrogates for Bacillus anthracis spores, while spores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus served as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carriers containing 1·0 × 10(6) spores were placed at various locations within the laboratory before fumigation with hydrogen peroxide following a previously validated protocol. Afterwards, carriers were monitored by plating out samples on agar and observing enrichment in nutrient medium for up to 14 days. Three months later, the experiment was repeated and results were compared. On 98 of 102 carriers, no viable spores could be detected after decontamination, while the remaining four carriers exhibited growth of CFU only after enrichment for several days. Reduction factors between 4·0 and 6·0 log levels could be reached.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A validated decontamination of a laboratory with hydrogen peroxide represents an effective alternative to fumigation with formaldehyde. Spores of B. cereus seem to be more resistant than those of G. stearothermophilus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study provide important results in the field of hydrogen peroxide decontamination when analysing the effect on spores other than those of G. stearothermophilus.
authors.affiliation: Division Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaspari
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lemmer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lochau
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Howaldt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nattermann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grunow
mesh_terms: D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000187:drug effects; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000187:drug effects; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004202:Disinfectants; D005651:Fumigation; D001411:Geobacillus stearothermophilus / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007753:Laboratories; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide
keywords: BSL3; Bacillus; bacterial spores; disinfection; hydrogen peroxide; laboratory