Variability in Donor Lung Culture and Relative Humidity Impact the Stability of 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus on Nonporous Surfaces
Zhihong Qian, Dylan H. Morris, Annika J. Avery, Karen A. Kormuth, Valerie Le Sage, Michael M. Myerburg, James O. Lloyd‐Smith, Linsey C. Marr, Seema S. Lakdawala
Abstract
Seasonal epidemics and sporadic pandemics of influenza cause a large public health burden. Although influenza viruses disseminate through the environment in respiratory secretions expelled from infected individuals, they can also be transmitted by contaminated surfaces where virus-laden expulsions can be deposited. Understanding virus stability on surfaces within the indoor environment is critical to assessing influenza transmission risk. We found that influenza virus stability is affected by the host respiratory secretion in which the virus is expelled, the surface material on which the droplet lands, and the ambient relative humidity of the environment. Influenza viruses can remain infectious on many common surfaces for prolonged periods, with half-lives of 4.5 to 5.9 h. These data imply that influenza viruses are persistent in indoor environments in biologically relevant matrices. Decontamination and engineering controls should be used to mitigate influenza virus transmission.