Ebola Virus Stability Under Hospital and Environmental Conditions.
The West African outbreak of Ebola virus (EBOV) is largely contained, but sporadic new cases continue to emerge. To assess the potential contribution of fomites to human infections with EBOV, we tested EBOV stability in human blood spotted onto Sierra Leonean banknotes and in syringe needles under hospital and environmental conditions. Under some of these conditions, EBOV remained infectious for >30 days, indicating that EBOV-contaminated items may pose a serious risk to humans.
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Danielle
D
Westhoff Smith
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Lindsay
L
Hill-Batorski
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Biological Sciences, Fourah Bay College College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown.
Alhaji
A
N'jai
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Amie J
AJ
Eisfeld
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Gabriele
G
Neumann
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Peter
P
Halfmann
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshihiro
Y
Kawaoka
D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D050456:Fomites / Q000821:virology*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D050296:Microbial Viability
Ebola virus; banknotes; virus stability