Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA Viruses
Contaminated surfaces and indoor environments are important sources of infectious spread within hospital and non-hospital facilities. Bacterial infections such as infections with <i>Clostridioides</i> (formerly <i>Clostridium</i>) <i>difficile</i> (<i>C. dif...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Infectious Disease Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/13/1/8 |
| _version_ | 1797413361562943488 |
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| author | Abeer Gharaibeh Richard H. Smith Michael J. Conway |
| author_facet | Abeer Gharaibeh Richard H. Smith Michael J. Conway |
| author_sort | Abeer Gharaibeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Contaminated surfaces and indoor environments are important sources of infectious spread within hospital and non-hospital facilities. Bacterial infections such as infections with <i>Clostridioides</i> (formerly <i>Clostridium</i>) <i>difficile</i> (<i>C. difficile</i>) and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>) and its antibiotic resistant strains continue to pose a significant risk to healthcare workers and patients. Additionally, the recent emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), highlights the need for safe and effective methods to decontaminate surfaces to control infection spread in hospitals and the community. To address these critical needs, we tested a photocatalytic reactor decontamination method to disinfect contaminated surfaces in a hospital and a laboratory setting. By placing the reactor in a test hospital room, growth of <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>C. difficile</i> were significantly reduced compared with a control room. Additionally, using a model enveloped positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, dengue virus type 2 (DENV2), we showed that the use of the photocatalytic reactor reduces viral infectivity. Collectively, the results demonstrate the potential utility of photocatalytic reactors in reducing the spread of highly contagious bacterial and viral infections through contaminated surfaces and environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:16:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe18fed0cf534500ad90e6d8e297bf16 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2036-7449 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:16:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Infectious Disease Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe18fed0cf534500ad90e6d8e297bf162023-12-03T12:45:31ZengMDPI AGInfectious Disease Reports2036-74492021-01-01131587110.3390/idr13010008Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA VirusesAbeer Gharaibeh0Richard H. Smith1Michael J. Conway2Insight Research Institute, Flint, MI 48507, USAInsight Research Institute, Flint, MI 48507, USAFoundational Sciences, College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USAContaminated surfaces and indoor environments are important sources of infectious spread within hospital and non-hospital facilities. Bacterial infections such as infections with <i>Clostridioides</i> (formerly <i>Clostridium</i>) <i>difficile</i> (<i>C. difficile</i>) and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>) and its antibiotic resistant strains continue to pose a significant risk to healthcare workers and patients. Additionally, the recent emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), highlights the need for safe and effective methods to decontaminate surfaces to control infection spread in hospitals and the community. To address these critical needs, we tested a photocatalytic reactor decontamination method to disinfect contaminated surfaces in a hospital and a laboratory setting. By placing the reactor in a test hospital room, growth of <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>C. difficile</i> were significantly reduced compared with a control room. Additionally, using a model enveloped positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, dengue virus type 2 (DENV2), we showed that the use of the photocatalytic reactor reduces viral infectivity. Collectively, the results demonstrate the potential utility of photocatalytic reactors in reducing the spread of highly contagious bacterial and viral infections through contaminated surfaces and environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/13/1/8<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>MRSA<i>C. difficile</i>photocatalytic reactorphotocatalytic oxidationinfection control |
| spellingShingle | Abeer Gharaibeh Richard H. Smith Michael J. Conway Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA Viruses Infectious Disease Reports <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> MRSA <i>C. difficile</i> photocatalytic reactor photocatalytic oxidation infection control |
| title | Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA Viruses |
| title_full | Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA Viruses |
| title_fullStr | Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA Viruses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA Viruses |
| title_short | Reducing Spread of Infections with a Photocatalytic Reactor—Potential Applications in Control of Hospital <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> Infections and Inactivation of RNA Viruses |
| title_sort | reducing spread of infections with a photocatalytic reactor potential applications in control of hospital i staphylococcus aureus i and i clostridioides difficile i infections and inactivation of rna viruses |
| topic | <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> MRSA <i>C. difficile</i> photocatalytic reactor photocatalytic oxidation infection control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/13/1/8 |
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