Reducing viral contamination from finger pads: handwashing is more effective than alcohol-based hand disinfectants

J Hosp Infect. 2015 Jul;90(3):226-34. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2015.02.019. Epub 2015 Apr 10.

Abstract

Background: Hand hygiene is important for interrupting transmission of viruses through hands. Effectiveness of alcohol-based hand disinfectant has been shown for bacteria but their effectiveness in reducing transmission of viruses is ambiguous.

Aim: To test efficacy of alcohol hand disinfectant against human enteric and respiratory viruses and to compare efficacy of an alcohol-based hand disinfectant and handwashing with soap and water against norovirus.

Methods: Efficacies of a propanol and an ethanol-based hand disinfectant against human enteric and respiratory viruses were tested in carrier tests. Efficacy of an alcohol-based hand disinfectant and handwashing with soap and water against noroviruses GI.4, GII.4, and MNV1 were tested using finger pad tests.

Findings: The alcohol-based hand disinfectant reduced the infectivity of rotavirus and influenza A virus completely within 30s whereas poliovirus Sabin 1, adenovirus type 5, parechovirus 1, and MNV1 infectivity were reduced <3 log10 within 3 min. MNV1 infectivity reduction by washing hands with soap and water for 30s (>3.0 ± 0.4 log10) was significantly higher than treating hands with alcohol (2.8 ± 1.5 log10). Washing with soap and water for 30s removed genomic copies of MNV1 (>5 log10), noroviruses GI.4 (>6 log10), and GII.4 (4 log10) completely from all finger pads. Treating hands with propanol-based hand disinfectant showed little or no reduction to complete reduction with mean genomic copy reduction of noroviruses GI.4, GII.4, and MNV1 being >2.6, >3.3, and >1.2 log10 polymerase chain reaction units respectively.

Conclusions: Washing hands with soap and water is better than using alcohol-based hand disinfectants in removing noroviruses from hands.

Keywords: Carrier test; Enteric virus; Finger pad test; Foodborne viruses; Hand disinfection; Norovirus; Respiratory viruses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alcohols*
  • Caliciviridae Infections / transmission
  • Calicivirus, Feline
  • Disinfectants / standards*
  • Equipment Contamination / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • Fingers / virology*
  • Hand / virology*
  • Hand Disinfection / methods*
  • Hand Disinfection / standards*
  • Hand Hygiene / methods*
  • Hand Hygiene / standards
  • Hand Sanitizers / standards
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Norovirus
  • Rotavirus
  • Soaps
  • Viruses / genetics
  • Viruses / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Alcohols
  • Disinfectants
  • Hand Sanitizers
  • Soaps