Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: December 10, 2014
Questions remain about Ebola?s survival in the environment
"Ebola Virus Persistence in the Environment: State of the Knowledge and Research Needs"
Environmental Science & Technology Letters
...
Kyle Bibby and colleagues explain that knowing how long the deadly pathogen survives on surfaces, in water or in liquid droplets is critical to developing effective disinfection practices to prevent the spread of the disease. Currently, the World Health Organization guidelines recommend that liquid wastes from patients be flushed down the toilet or disposed of in a latrine. However, patients? solid waste and liquid waste from Ebola research labs are supposed to be disinfected before entering the sewage system. Bibby?s team set out to determine what research can and can?t tell us about these practices.
The researchers scoured scientific papers for data on how long the virus can live in the environment. They found a dearth of published studies on the matter. That means no one knows for sure whether the virus can go airborne from a surface and cause infection, or how long it remains active in water, wastewater or sludge, say the researchers. The team concluded that Ebola?s persistence outside the body needs more careful investigation.
...
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/p...about-ebolas-survival-in-the-environment.html
ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: December 10, 2014
Questions remain about Ebola?s survival in the environment
"Ebola Virus Persistence in the Environment: State of the Knowledge and Research Needs"
Environmental Science & Technology Letters
...
Kyle Bibby and colleagues explain that knowing how long the deadly pathogen survives on surfaces, in water or in liquid droplets is critical to developing effective disinfection practices to prevent the spread of the disease. Currently, the World Health Organization guidelines recommend that liquid wastes from patients be flushed down the toilet or disposed of in a latrine. However, patients? solid waste and liquid waste from Ebola research labs are supposed to be disinfected before entering the sewage system. Bibby?s team set out to determine what research can and can?t tell us about these practices.
The researchers scoured scientific papers for data on how long the virus can live in the environment. They found a dearth of published studies on the matter. That means no one knows for sure whether the virus can go airborne from a surface and cause infection, or how long it remains active in water, wastewater or sludge, say the researchers. The team concluded that Ebola?s persistence outside the body needs more careful investigation.
...
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/p...about-ebolas-survival-in-the-environment.html