title: Decontamination by Persteril 36 may affect the reliability of DNA-based detection of biological warfare agents-short communication.
abstract: Persteril 36 is a disinfectant with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. Because of its bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, and sporicidal effectiveness, it is used as a disinfectant against biological warfare agents in the emergency and army services. In case of an attack with potentially harmful biological agents, a person's gear or afflicted skin is sprayed with a diluted solution of Persteril 36 as a precaution. Subsequently, the remains of the biological agents are analyzed. However, the question remains concerning whether DNA can be successfully analyzed from Persteril 36-treated dead bacterial cells. Spore-forming Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Xanthomonas campestris were splattered on a camouflage suit and treated with 2 or 0.2 % Persteril 36. After the disinfectant vaporized, the bacterial DNA was extracted and quantified by real-time PCR. A sufficient amount of DNA was recovered for downstream analysis only in the case of spore-forming B. subtilis treated with a 0.2 % solution of Persteril 36. The bacterial DNA was almost completely destroyed in Gram-negative bacteria or after treatment with the more concentrated solution in B. subtilis. This phenomenon can lead to false-negative results during the identification of harmful microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Forensic DNA Service, s.r.o., Janovskeho 18, Prague 7, 170 00, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jirina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Josefiova
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Albertov 6, Prague, 128 43, Czech Republic.|Biologicals s.r.o., Sramkova 315/10, 251 01, Ricany, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pospisek
authors.affiliation: Forensic DNA Service, s.r.o., Janovskeho 18, Prague 7, 170 00, Czech Republic. daniel.vanek@DNA.com.cz.|2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, V Uvalu 84, Prague, 150 06, Czech Republic. daniel.vanek@DNA.com.cz.|Nemocnice Na Bulovce, Institute of Legal Medicine, Budinova 2, Prague 8, 180 81, Czech Republic. daniel.vanek@DNA.com.cz.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2562-7857
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vanek
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D054045:Biological Warfare Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000378:metabolism*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D010463:Peracetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D016959:Xanthomonas campestris / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D054045:Biological Warfare Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004202:Disinfectants; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; C025768:Persteril; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D010463:Peracetic Acid