Evaluation of the effects of disinfectants on rotavirus RNA and infectivity by the polymerase chain reaction and cell-culture methods.

Rotaviruses have been linked to outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis of children in day-care centres and hospital paediatric wards. There is, therefore, the need for monitoring effective decontamination of such environments. We have evaluated the effects of seven different methods of disinfection/inactivation (four chemical and three physical) on rotavirus using the PCR and cell-culture methods. We observed that 6% H2O2, 2500 ppm chlorine, an ethano-phenolic disinfectant, u.v. irradiation and heat completely destroyed the infectivity of rotavirus as well as RNA amplifiable by PCR. On the other hand, treatment with 80% ethanol resulted in the loss of infectivity despite the fact that RNA was still amplifiable. Rotavirus subjected to drying over a 24 h period still retained amplifiable RNA but infectivity was reduced by 100-fold when compared to the control. This study demonstrated an agreement between PCR and cell-culture monitoring systems, however, PCR is a more rapid and sensitive assay.