title: Ionizing air affects influenza virus infectivity and prevents airborne-transmission.
abstract: By the use of a modified ionizer device we describe effective prevention of airborne transmitted influenza A (strain Panama 99) virus infection between animals and inactivation of virus (>97%). Active ionizer prevented 100% (4/4) of guinea pigs from infection. Moreover, the device effectively captured airborne transmitted calicivirus, rotavirus and influenza virus, with recovery rates up to 21% after 40 min in a 19 m(3) room. The ionizer generates negative ions, rendering airborne particles/aerosol droplets negatively charged and electrostatically attracts them to a positively charged collector plate. Trapped viruses are then identified by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR. The device enables unique possibilities for rapid and simple removal of virus from air and offers possibilities to simultaneously identify and prevent airborne transmission of viruses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Virology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Linköping, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagbom
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Virology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Linköping, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nordgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nybom
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostics and Vaccine, Swedish Institute for Communicable disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kjell-Olof
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Hedlund
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wigzell
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Virology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Linköping, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Svensson
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000388:Air; D000391:Air Microbiology; D000818:Animals; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007477:Ions; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D007477:Ions