Survival and inactivation of hepatitis E virus on inanimate surfaces

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, and mainly transmitted via faecal-oral contamination or consumption of contaminated food products. However, limited data on the surface stability and HEV sensitivity to chemical disinfectants are available. Aim: To establish an HEV-based carrier assay to evaluate its surface stability and the virucidal activity of nine surface disinfectants. Methods: A recently developed robust HEV-3 cell culture system for an HEV-based carrier assay. Findings: Alcohol-based disinfectants were insufficient to eliminate HEV infectivity, whereas disinfectants based on aldehyde, peracetic acid, oxygen, and/or quaternary ammonium inactivated HEV. Conclusion: These findings have strong implications for the recommendation of evidence-based hygiene guidelines to reduce HEV transmission. (c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Healthcare Infection Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

A carrier assay based on HEV was established to evaluate its surface stability and the virucidal activity of nine surface disinfectants. The results showed that alcohol-based disinfectants were insufficient to eliminate HEV infectivity, while disinfectants based on aldehyde, peracetic acid, oxygen, and/or quaternary ammonium inactivated HEV. These findings have important implications for the recommendation of evidence-based hygiene guidelines to reduce HEV transmission.